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Copyrighted,  1881, 
Bv  C.   A.   NICHOLS   &  CO. 


Springfield  Printing  Co.  : 
Electrofijpers,  Printers  and  Binders, 

Sl'KINGFIELD,   MASS. 


PREFACE. 


This  work  is  the  child  of  my  old  age.  My  reasons  for  preparing 
it  have  been  partly  personal.  I  needed  something  to  do.  I  mnst 
have  some  steady  congenial  employment,  or  I  could  not  be  happy. 
I  felt,  too,  that  if  I  neglected  to  employ  my  faculties,  I  might  soon 
lose  them.  The  best  mode  of  preserving  them  unimpaired  would 
be  to  keep  them  bright  with  use.  At  the  same  time,  I  could  think 
of  nothing  on  which,  at  my  period  of  life,  I  could  more  appropri- 
ately employ  my  thoughts,  than  on  the  Bible.  I  firmly  believed  it 
to  be  a  revelation  from  God  to  the  world — a  "  light  shining  in  a 
dark  place  ;"  I  had  made  it,  in  one  form  or  another,  the  study  of  a 
long  life  ;  my  sentiments  in  regard  to  it  were  matured  and  settled ; 
and  what  better  could  I  do,  than  to  pass  over  its  sacred  contents 
in  the  form  of  question  and  answer,  and  set  them  forth  for  the 
instruction  and  benefit  of  my  fellow  men  ? 

The  conversational  form  was  adopted,  as  being  the  most  familiar, 
and  the  best  adapted,  perhaps,  to  arrest  and  fix  attention.  The 
conversations  are  between  a  clerical  father  and  his  son, — not  a  mere 
child,  but  a  son  liberally  educated,  and  about  to  enter  upon  studies 
preparatory  to  the  ministry.  This  remark  will  show,  that  the  work 
is  not  intended  merely  for  children,  and  young  persons.  It  is 
meant  to  be  read  in  families,  by  Sabbath  school  teachers,  by  per- 
sons of  all  ages  and  conditions  in  life.  Indeed,  the  conversations, 
though  between  father  and  son,  are  supposed  to  be  had  in  a  family, 
in  presence  of  the  different  members. 

And  this  remark  will  lielp  to  explain  the  nature  of  these  con- 
versations.    The  son  does  not  approach  his  father  always  in  the 


PREFACE. 


character  of  a  mere  inquirer,  but  often  as  an  interlocutor,  engaged 
in  carrying  on  a  conversation,  and  proposing  questions  for  this 
very  purpose — questions  which,  in  some  instances,  might  seem 
more  appropriate  to  come  from  the  father,  than  the  son. 

In  conclusion,  I  commit  this,  my  latest  and  perhaps  my  last  pub- 
lication to  God  and  his  people,  hoping  that  it  may  lead  to  a  more 
diligent  study  of  the  Bible,  to  a  greater  love  for  it  and  delight  in 
it,  to  a  firmer  faith  in  its  holy  doctrines,  to  a  more  strict  conformity 
to  its  sacred  precepts,  and  thus  to  a  more  perfect  preparation  for 
that  eternal  rest  which  remains  for  all  the  children  of  God. 

ENOCH  POND. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


FIRST    BOOK. 

FROM  THE  BEGINNING  TO  THE  CAPTIVITY  IN  BABYLON. 

CONVERSATION. 
I. 
DO  wp:  need  a  bible?  page. 

Universal  desire  for  further  light. — The  Bible's  inspiration. — Its  necessity. — Nature 
versus  Revelation. — Nature  the  only  light  of  the  heathen. — Its  abuse  and  perver- 
sion.— Nature's  insufficiency  confirmed. — Original  universality  of  Revelation. — 
Subsequent  loss  and  reasons  for  its  slow  development  throughout  the  world.    .    .    21 

II. 

■WHAT  BELONGS  TO  THE  BIBLE? 

Apocryphal  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament. — Their  exclusion. — Authority 
of  the  received  books. — The  majority  of  one  a  fiction. — Books  of  the  Bible. — 
Their  preservation. — Collected  by  Ezra. — Later  additions. — Jewish  manuscripts 
and  our  present  Bible. — Do  they  agree. — Probabilities  and  proofs. — First  accept- 
ance of  the  Apocryphal  books  by  the  Roman  Church. — Tlieir  incredible  absurd- 
ity.— Their  value. —  Canon  of  the  New  Testament. —  Council  of  Laodicea. — 
Revelation  of  John. — Genuineness  of  the  accepted  books 26 

III. 
BY  WHOM  AND  WHEN  WERE  THE  BOOKS  OF  THE  BIBLE  WRITTEN? 
Books  of  the  Bible  chronologically  untrue,  and  tlie  Authors  not  as  represented. — 
Fallacy  of  such  an  assertion  — Proofs  of  genuineness. — The  books  of  the  New 
Testament. — Investigation  concerning  them. — Facts  and  conclusions  regarding 
the  books  of  the  Okl  Testament. — External  testimony  in  proof. — Internal  evi- 
dence.— Enemies  and  infidels. — Research  of  modern  times. — Difficulties  and  ob- 
jections removed 34 

IV. 
IS  THE  BIBLE  TRUE? 
A  vital  question. — Historically  considered. — Its  circulation  among  contemporaries. — 
Veracity  unquestioned. — Character  of  statements  made. — Improbability  of  ac- 
ceptance if  false. — Evidence  of  profane  history. — Propriety  of  relying  on  Apostolic 
testimony. — Their  motives  for  truth. — Danger  of  proclaiming  it. — Persecutions. 
— The  witness  of  the  world  in  the  present  day. — Customs,  rites  and  ceremonies. 
— Their  origin.— The  Christian's  faith.— The  infidel's  argument. — Belief  in  Script- 
ural records  and  authenticity  increasing 39 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Y,  PAGE. 

ARE  THE  SCRIPTURES  FROM  GOD? 
Bible  assertions. — Miracles. — Nature  of  miracles. — Unknown  natural  laws. — Special 
need  of  miracles. — Their  intent  and  purpose. — Divine  Authority  supported  by 
prophecy. — The  value  of  the  Authority. — The  nature  of  Prophecy. — Conjecture 
versus  Prophecy. — Bible  said  to  have  all  been  written  since  the  events  transpired. 
— Evidence  against  such  a  statement. — Internal  proofs  of  Inspiration. — The  Bible 
God's  Book 49 

VI. 

THE  SCRIPTURES  INSPIRED  AXD  INFALLIBLE. 
Difference  between  Revelation  and  Inspiration. — An  Infallible  record. — Passages  in 
the  Bible  not  true. — Such  explained. — Man's  instrumentality. — The  work  of  God. 
— Proof  of  the  Inspiration  of  the  Bible. — The  promise  of  Inspiration  from  God. — 
Many  of  tliem. — Inspiration  acknowledged  by  the  writers. — Proclaimed  by  Christ. 
— Doctrine  of  the  Early  Fathers. — Objections. — Difference  in  style  and  method. 
— Original  manuscript  lost. — Indelicacies  of  the  Bible. — Contradictions. — Im- 
proper quotations  of  New  Testament  writers. — Paul's  disclaim  to  Revelation. — 
Doctrine  of  Inspiration  of  great  importance 55 

VII. 
THE  CREATION. 
A  veritable  history  or  a  myth. — Self-evident  testimony. — Other  evidence. — Creation 
of  the  world  explained. — Swedenborg  and  Pantheism. — Time. — Geology  and  the 
Bible  narrative. — In  the  Beginning. — Formation  of  mountains. — Terrible  revolu- 
tions.— Cause  of  the  darkness. — First  chapter  of  Genesis  explained. — The  Sun, 
Moon  and  Stars. — Institution  of  the  Sabbath. — Length  of  days. — Pre-historic 
man. — The  Mosaic  narrative  descriptive  of  the  Earth  before  the  Flood.     ...    65 

VIII. 

THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN. 

Location  of  the  Garden. — What  it  contained. — The  Great  Rivers. — The  Tree  of  Good 

and  Evil. — Its  Fruit. — The  nature  of  it. — Why  called  the  Tree  of  Knowledge. — 

The  Tree  of  Life. — Its  object  and  use. — The  result  had  Adam  and  Eve  ate  of  its 

fruit. — Moral  reflections 75 

IX. 

THE  ORIGINAL  SIN. 
Adam  and  Eve  made  in  the  image  of  God. — What  we  are  to  understand  by  that. — 
Their  free  moral  agency. — Duties  in  the  Garden. — The  Death  implied  for  diso- 
bedience.— The  serpent. — What  it  was. — Power  to  speak. — Why  the  devil  did  not 
tempt  Adam. — The  immediate  consequences  of  transgression. — The  sentence  de- 
layed.— The  curse  on  the  Serpent. — The  curse  on  the  woman. — The  significance 
of  the  curse  on  Adam. — Entailed  sin  a  law  of  nature 81 

X. 

CAIN  AND  ABEL. 

Their  birth. — Were  they  savages. — Religion. — Institution  of  the  bloody  Sacrifice.— 
Ordained  by  God. — God's  reason  for  not  accepting  tlie  offering  of  Cain. — Cain's 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

anger. — Murder  of  Abel. — Tlie  result. — Wives  of  Cain  and  Abel. — People  to 
whom  Cain  fled. — Cain's  posterity. — Abel's  descendants. — The  family  of  Adam 
and  Eve. — Progress  of  population. — Object  of  Enoch's  translation. — Extended 
lives  of  the  Antediluvians 92 

XI. 

THE  DELUGE, 
When  it  occurred. — Bible  predictions. — Preparations. — Local  or  universal  in  extent. 
— Evidences  of  its  universality. — Traditions  of  ancient  nations. — Science  confut- 
ing old  theories. — No  positive  traces  of  the  Noachian  deluge  known. — Previous 
deluges. — Their  universality. — Where  did  the  water  come  from. — Population  of 
the  Earth. — More  numerous  than  since. — Evidences  of  tliis  theory. — State  of  Art, 
— Capacity  of  tlie  Ark. — What  was  preserved. — The  resting  j^lace  of  the  Ark. — 
Anticiuity  of  Chinese,  Egyptians,  etc. — Moral  teachings 101 


xn. 

EVENTS  FOLLOWING  THE  DELUGE. 
Noah's  first  work  — First  permission  to  take  the  life  of  animals  and  eat  their  flesh. — 
Blood  prohibited. — The  death  penalty  for  murder. — The  rainbow. — Was  this  its 
first  appearance. — Noah's  history. — His  sous. — Where  they  settled. — Occupation. 
— Tower  of  Babel. — Confusion  of  tongues. — The  original  language. — Site  of 
Babel. — Ancient  historians 113 

XIII. 

ORIGIN  OF  NATIONS. 
The  dispersion. — Tribes  and  families  of  one  tongue. — Nations  in  the  line  of  Japheth. 
— Portions  of  the  earth  populated  by  his  descendants. — The  children  of  Shem 
and  who  they  are. — Egypt  and  Arabia  peopled  by  the  children  of  Ham. — The 
desire  for  conquest. — Rise  and  fall  of  nations. — Importance  of  the  book  of 
Genesis 110 

XIV. 
ABRAHAM  TO  HIS  SEPARATION  WITH  LOT. 
Birth  of  Abraham. — When  and  where. — Family  connections. — Marries  his  half  sister. 
— First  call. — Its  object. — Second  call  and  the  promi.se. — Particulars  of  his 
journey  to  Canaan. — Damascus  is  passed. — A  disreputable  act. — Sarah's  beauty. 
— Pharaoh  sharply  reproves  Abraham. — Cause  of  Lot  and  Abraham's  separation. 
— Selfishness  of  Lot 1 24 

XV. 

ABRAHAM  TILL  THE  FORIMATION  OF  A  CHURCH  IN  HIS  FAMILY. 
Expedition  of  the  Four  Kings. — Capture  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. — Lot  and  Family 
among  the  prisoners. — Abraham  to  the  rescue. — Victory. — Abraham's  generosity. 
— Melchizedek. — Who  and  what  he  was. — Without  father  or  mother. — Neither 
beginning  of  days  nor  end  of  life. — Jerusalem  before  the  Jews. — Relations  between 
God  and  Abraham. — Sarah's  expedient. — Result  of  unbelief. — Ishmael. — A  church 
established. — Significance  of  circumcision. — Piety  of  Abraham 129 


10  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


XVI.  vilQIS. 
ABRAHAM  TILL  HIS  DEATH. 
Angels'  visit. — Interview. — Eating  natural  food. — Who  the  cliief  angel  was. — Abra- 
ham's plea  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. — Treatment  of  the  angels  at  Sodom. — Their 
message  to  Lot. — Peril  of  Lot. — Abraham  viewing  the  destruction  of  the  cities. — 
Pillar  of  salt. — Profane  writers  concerning  it. — The  vicinity  of  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrali  on  fire  for  years. — Recent  discoveries. — Abraham  again  denies  liis  wife. — 
Birth  of  Isaac. — Character  of  Ishmael. — Isaac  on  the  altar. — Mount  Moriah. — 
Interesting  circumstances. — Sarah's  death  and  burial. — Second  wife. — Abraham's 
will.— His  death 136 

XVII. 

KEFLECTIONS  ON  THE  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM. 

His  reputation  among  the  nations. — Skilled  in  Celestial  Science. — Ancient  historians 

regarding    him. — The    Mohammedan    Koran. — A  beautiful    story. — A    Persian 

legend. — Abraham's  faith  — Abraham  as  an  example. — His  transgressions. — His 

name  honored  by  posterity 147 

XVIII. 
ISAAC  TO  HIS  DEATH. 
The  birth  of  Jacob  and  Esau. — Heads  of  two  nations. — Esau's  birthright  sold  for  a 
mess  of  pottage. — What  is  signified. — Isaac  like  his  father  denies  his  wife. — Isaac 
in  the  laud  of  the  Philistines. — His  departure. — E.sau's  marriage  and  its  conse- 
quences.— Esaii  loses  tlie  blessing. — His  grief. — Jacob  threatened  with  vengeance. 
— Fligiit  of  Jacob. — Character  of  Isaac 151 

XIX. 
JACOB  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  HIS  FATHER, 
Jacob's  journey. — His  dream. — His  vow. — Marries  his  two  cousins. — Has  twelve  sons 
and  one  daughter. — Separation  from  Laban. — The  stolen  images. — Jacob  wrestles 
with  the  Angel. — Fulfills  his  vow. — Benjamin  born. — Kachel's  deatli. — Her  mon- 
ument standing  at  the  present  time. — Jacob  returns  to  his  father. — Isaac's  death 
and  burial 157 

XX. 

JACOB  AND  HIS  FAIMILY  UNTIL  THE  RECOGNITION  IN  EGYPT. 
Jacob's  partiality  for  Joseph. — Envy  of  the  brothers. — Their  crime. — Character  of  the 
elder  sons. — Joseph's  romantic  career. — Cause  of  the  Egyptian  famines. — Joseph's 
brethren  go  to  Egypt  to  hnj  corn. — His  treatment  of  them. — Demands  Benjamin. 
— Grief  of  Jacob  on  parting  with  his  youngest  son. — Second  journey  into  Eg^-pt. 
— Pathetic  scene  in  Joseph's  palace. — The  hidden  cup. — Consternation  of  the 
brothers — Judah's  eloquent  appeal. — Joseph  sobs  aloud  and  reveals  himself.   .     .166 

XXI. 

JACOB  AND  JOSEPH  TILL  THEIR  DEATH. 
Pharaoh  invites  Jacob  to  Egypt. — Jacob's  joy. — Removal  to  Egypt. — Meeting  of 
Joseph  and  his  father. — Jacob  l)lesses  the  King. — Joseph's  government. — Jacob 
about  to  die. — His  sons  called  about  him  to  receive  his  blessing. — Christ's  com- 
ing predicted. — Last  words. — Death  and  burial. — Magnificence  of  this  funeral 
unequaled. — Joseph's  life  a  lesson  for  the  young 174 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  11 

XXir.  PAGE. 

MOSES  UNTIL  HIS  CALL  TO  GO  INTO  EGYPT. 
Oppression  of  tlie  Hebrews. — Tlie  cause. — Cruel  command  of  tlie  Egyptian  King. — 
Motiiers  to  drown  all  the  new-born  male  children. — Moses  born. — A  motlier's  de- 
votion.— Moses  jirovideutially  saved. — Born  a  slave. — A  prince  by  adoption. — 
Becomes  a  fugitive  sliepherd. — The  religion  of  tiie  Egyptians. — The  burning 
bush. — The  message  from  God. — Aaron  to  be  his  helper 184 

XXIII. 

THE  PLAGUES  OF  EGYPT. 

Departure  of  Moses  for  Egypt.— The  meeting  of  Moses  and  Aaron.— Tlieir  first  acts. 
— Interview  witli  the  king. — Their  request. — The  king's  reply. — Tlie  effect  on  the 
Hel)rews. — Miracle  of  the  rod. — The  result. — Meet  tlie  king  by  the  river. — The 
mystic  rod  laid  over  the  water. — The  miraculous  result. — Success  of  the  magi- 
cians.— The  succession  of  the  plagues 189 

XXIV. 
THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 
The  death  plague. — Borrowing  of  the  Egyptians. — Rameses. — Route  of  Hebrews.— 
Their  number. — Pillar  of  cloud  and  pillar  of  fire. — Duration  of  stay  in  Egvpt. — 
Feast  of  tabernacles. — Its  institution. — The  pursuit  by  Pharaoh  and  his  army. — 
Terror  of  the  Hebrews. — First  murmur  of  discontent. — Passage  of  the  Red  Sea. 
— Was  it  a  miracle I97 

XXV. 

FROM  THE  RED  SEA  TO  SINAI. 

The  march  to  the  desert. — Incidents  by  the  way. — Famine  threatened. — Sighing  for 
the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt. — Bread  of  heaven. — First  mention  of  the  Sabbath  since 
the  Creation. — A  supply  of  quails. — Wonderful  circumstance  of  the  manna. — A 
pot  full  preserved. — Moses  smites  the  rock. — Remarkable  result. — First  battle. — 
Their  enemies. — Where  they  came  from. — First  mention  of  Joshua. — Pious 
Jethro. — His  advice. — Establishment  of  Courts  of  Justice. — Mount  Sinai.  .     .     .  205 

XXVI. 

ISRAEL  AT  MOUNT  SINAL 
The  seventy  elders  of  Israel. — Who  they  were. — God  becomes  the  civil  head  of  the 
nation. — Getting  ready  to  meet  God. — Danger  of  the  Mount. — The  trumpet 
sounded. — What  it  was. — Wonderful  sights  and  sounds. — Majesty  of  God. — De- 
livery of  the  Law. — Sprinkling  the  blood  of  the  covenant. — Solemn  ceremony. — 
Seeing  God. — The  priesthood  appointed. — Receiving  tlie  Ten  Commandments. 
— The  Golden  Calf  — Wliat  Moses  did. — Building  the  Tabernacle. — Aaron's  two 
sons  killed. — Organizing  an  army 209 

XXVII. 
THE  ISRAELITES  AT  KADESH. 
Leaving  Sinai. — Dissatisfaction. — A  supply  of  meat  provided. — Aaron's  jealousy  of 
Moses. — His  Ethiopian  wife. — The  sister  of  Moses  smitten  witii  leprosy  — Spies 
sent  into  Canaan. — Their  report  and  its  results. — Instant  death  of  the  spies. — 
The  command  to  go  back  into  the  wilderne-ss. — An  insurrection. — Awful  destruc- 
tion of  the  insurgents. — Budding  of  Aaron's  rod. — Its  testimony 221 


12  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

XXVIII.  ^^«^- 

THE  SOJOURN  IN  THE  DESERT. 
Wandering  in  the  desert. — Tiieir  occupation. — Providence  of  God. — Their  second 
encampment  at  Kadesh. — The  sister  of  Moses  dies. — Water  again  brouglit  from 
the  rock. — Moses  angered. — Its  results. — Deatli  of  Aaron. — Conquest  of  Canaan 
begun. — The  fiery  serpents. — Entering  the  promised  land. — The  device  of  the 
Moabites    and    Midianites. — Balaam   slain. — Joshua   chosen    leader. — Cities  of 

refuge 227 

XXIX. 
MOSES'  LAST  WORDS  AND  HIS  DEATH. 
Prediction  of  the  Messiah. — The  song  of  Moses. — Goes  alone  up  the  mount  to  die. — 
He  sees  the  promised  land. — His  age. — Important  lessons  from  his  life.— As  a 
historian. — His  faith. — Meditations  on  the  life  of  Moses 234 

XXX. 

JOSHUA  AND  THE  CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN. 
Joshua  called  Jesus. — The  book  of  Joshua. — Who  wrote  it. — Joshua  sending  spies  into 
Canaan. — Fall  of  Jericho. — The  tabernacle  set  up  at  Shiloh. — Value  of  the  book 
of  Joshua. — Who  were  tlie  Canaanites. — Evidences  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan 
other  than  the  Bible. — Had  the  Israelites  any  right  to  the  laud  of  Canaan.  .     .     .  241 

XXXI. 

THE  RULE  OF  THE  JUDGES. 
Who  wTote  the  Book  of  Judges. — Names  of  the  judges. — Term  of  office. — Duties. — 
Idolatry  of  the  Israelites. — Its  consequence. — Six  hundred  Philistines  killed  with 
an  ox-goad. — Deborah's  song. — Gideon. — His  son  Abimelech  the  usurper. — Sam- 
son.— Treachery  of  hia  wife. — Capture  of  the  ark. — Jephtha  and  his  daughter.  .  248 

XXXII. 

SAMUEL  AND  SAUL. 
The  ark  in  the  hands  of  the  Philistines. — A  fearful  curse  to  them. — Their  dread  of 
it. — Plan  to  dispose  of  it. — The  result. — Samuel  implored  for  a  king. — Samuel 
anoints  Saul. — The  first  king  of  the  Israelites. — His  reign. — A  successor  chosen. 
— The  intercourse  of  Samuel  and  Saul  broken 260 

XXXIII. 

SAMUEL,  SAUL  AND  DAVID. 

David  anointed. — The  effect  of  Samuel's  desertion  on  Saul. — David  and  Goliah. — 

Their  combat. — Saul's  jealousy  of  David. — David  marries  the  daughter  of  Saul. 

— Samuel  dies. — Schools  of  the  prophets. — Saul  calls  up  the  spirit  of  Samuel. 

— Death  of  Saul. — Did  Samuel  appear  to  Saul. — Lessons  taught  in  this  chapter.  266 

XXXIV. 
DAVID  CONCLUDED. 

The  Psalms  partially  written  during  Saul's  persecution  of  David. — The  news  of 
Saul's  death. — Its  effect  upon  David. — David's  eulogy  on  Saul. — David  made  king. 
— A  son  of  Saul  also  claims  the  kingdom. — David's  reward  to  the  regicide. — 
Military  career  of  David. — Hiram,  king  of  Tyre. — Their  friendship. — The  ark 
brought  to  Jerusalem. — The  temple  projected. — David's  sin. — Solomon's  birth. 
— Singular  fact. — David's  death 273 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  13 

XXXV.                                                           PA"'^- 
THE  REIGN  OF  SOLOMON. 
His  age  on  ascending  the  throne. — His  character. — Solomon's  marriage  to  King  Pha- 
raoh's daughter. — The  great  event  of  Solomon's  reign. — Tlie  temple. — Its  dedica- 
tion.— Visit  of  Queen  of    Siieha. — Solomon's   fall    into   sin — Evidence  of    his 
repentance. — His  children. — Lessons  taught  by  the  life  of  Solomon 283 

XXXVI. 

KINGS  OF  JUDAH  AND  ISRAEL. 
The  division  of  the  kingdom. — Judah  and  Benjamin  loyal. — Idolatry  of  the  ten 
tribes. — Invasion  by  tiie  P^gyptians. — Terrible  slaughter. — Half  a  million  slain. — 
Elijali  the  prophet. — Elislia  liis  successor. — The  remarkable  letter  from  Elijah. 
— Death  of  Jezebel. — Jonah  and  Hosea  the  prophets. — Pul,  king  of  Nineveh. — 
Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  carries  the  Israelites  into  captivity. — Origin  of  the 
Samaritans 288 

XXXVII. 
KINGS  OF  JUDAH  TO  THE  CAPTIVITY. 
Keign  of  Jotham. — Succeeded  by  his  son  Aliaz. — Idolatry  of  this  reign. — This  temple 
closed. — Hezekiah's  reign. — One  of  the  best  of  the  kings  of  Judah. — His  char- 
acter.— The  temple  opened. — Revival  of  the  passdver. — The  brazen  serpent  of 
Moses  broken. — A  wonderful  phenomenon. — Josiah's  government. — The  book  of 
the  law  found  on  repairing  the  temple. — Death  of  Josiah. — Eulogy  of  Jeremiah. 
— Jerusalem  and  the  temple  destroyed 299 

XXXVIII. 

BOOKS  OF  KINGS  AND  CHRONICLES. 

History  of  the  books. — Original  plan  and  division. — Discrepancies  to  be  found. — How 

harmonized. — Omissions  and  additions  found  and  arranged. — Design  of  the  books. 

— Author  or  authors  unknown. — Surmises. — Importance  of  the  books  as  a  matter 

of  reliable  history 308 

XXXIX. 

THE  BOOK  OF  JOB. 
A  remarkable  character. — Real  or  imaginary. — The  laud  of  Uz. — Its  location. — Time 
at  which  Job  lived. — The  author  of  the  book  of  Job. — The  plan  of  the  work. — 
Truth  of  the  narrative. — Actual  sound  of  God's  voice. — Religious  belief  of  those 
days. — The  question  of  Job's  second  family  being  by  the  mother  of  the  first.  .     .313 

XL. 

THE  PSALMS. 
What  they  are. — Their  purpose  and  the  authors. — Original  and  ancient  division. — 
The  peculiarity  of  Hebrew  poetry. — The  imprecations  of  the  Psalms. — The  glory 
of   infidels. — The    perplexity  explained.— Inspiration  of  David. — Value  of  the 
Psalms  to  Christians 320 

XLI. 

THE  PROVERBS. 

Was  Solomon  the  author  of  them  all. — The  three  thousand  proverbs. — King  Lemuel. 

— Location  of  his  kingdom.— The  design  of  the  Proverbs. — Wliy  they  seldom 

refer  to  the  Sabljath. — Remarks  regarding  their  style. — Their  practical  value  and 

adaptation  to  mankind 325 


14  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

XLII.  ^'^«^- 

ECCLESIASTES. 
"Why  so   called. — Ancient    Hebrew  name. — Its   author. — The    plan. — Considered  a 
drama  by  some. — Other  opinions. — Tlie  question  of  the  piety  of  Solomon. — Evi- 
dences of  his  repentance  and  recovery. — The  grand  object  of  wise  men  at  this 
period. — Valuable  lessons  to  be  derived  from  tliis  booli 329 

xLiir. 

SONG  OF  SOLOJION. 
Is  this  an  inspired  book,  and  does  it  belong  to  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament?— Its 
estimation   among   the    Jews.— How    considered    among  early    Christians. — A 
Hebrew  love-song  three  thousand  years  old. — An  allegory. — Evidences  given. — 
Indelicacies. — This  explained. — The  general  design  of  the  book 338 

XLIV. 
PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS. 
Nature  of  the  prophetical  office. — The  first  prophet. — The  succession  till  the  time  of 
the   kings. — Elijah    and    Elisha. — The    prophets  of    Baal   slain. — Ascension  of 
Elijah. — Miracles  of  Elisha.— No  writings  of  either  left 342 

XLV. 
PKOPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS. 
Jonah,  Hosea  and  Amos. — Jonah  and  his  work. — First  of  the  prophets  sent  to  the 
heathen. — His  call. — Attempts  to  evade  it. — The  result. — The  great  fish. — Specu- 
lation concerning  it. — False  or  true. — Startling  effect  of  his  preaching  in  Nine- 
veh.— God's  veracity. — Jonah's  gourd. — Hosea. — His  predictions  and  peculiar 
style 


349 


XLVI. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS. 

The  prophet  Joel. — Time  of  his  writing. — His  smooth  and  fluent  style. — Amos. — 

Originally  a  shepherd. — Condition  of  Israel  at  tliis  time. — Division  of  the  Book  of 

Joel. — Comparison  with  the  other    prophets. — His  fearful  denunciation  of  the 

high  priest 355 

XLVII. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS. 

Isaiah. — The  most  illustrious  of  the  prophets. — Supposed  to  be  of  royal  descent. — 

Traditional  account   of    his  death. — Sawn   asunder  with  a  wooden    saw. — His 

alleged  crime. — The  course  of  tlie  sun  stopped. — Evidences  from  other  nations. 

— His  eloquence. — Frequent  allusions  to  the  coming  of  Christ 359 

XLVIII. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OP  THE  KINGS. 

Micah. — Contemporary  witli  Isaiah. — Also  predicts  the  coming  of  Christ.— Nahum. 

— Little  known  of  liim. — His  style  more  impassioned  than  tlie  rest. — Propliesies 

the  destruction  of  Nineveh. — Ruins  of   Nineveh  lately  explored. — Confirmatory 

to  Bible  history 365 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  15 

XLIX.  I'^GE. 
PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS. 
Jeremiah  and  Lamentations. — Who  lie  was. — Contemporary  with  Daniel  and  Eze- 
kiel. — Tiireatened  with  death. — rrcservatiou  of  tiie  proitiiecies. — Destruction  of 
the  book  by  order  of  the  king. — A  new  one  made. —  Persecution  of  Jeremiah. — 
Fall  of  Jerusalem. — Death  in  Egypt. — Book  of  Lamentations. — Their  pecu- 
liarity  369 

L. 
PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS. 
Zephaniah. — Time  of  his  prophecy. — Character  of  his  predictions. — Habakkuk. — The 
general  description  of  this  book. — Obadiah. — The  shortest  book  iu  the  Old  Tes- 
tament.— Subject  of  this  prophecy 375 


SECOND  BOOK. 

FEOM  THE  CAPTIVITY  TO  THE  COMING  OF  CHRIST. 

CONVERSATION. 


THE  JEWS  UNDER  THE  BABYLONIANS. 
Babylon. — Its  location. — When  and  by  whom  founded. — Nineveh. — Division  of 
Assyrian  Empire. — Invasion  and  destruction  of  Nineveh. — Daniel  in  Babylon. 
— Second  transportation  of  Jews  to  Babylon. — Desolation  of  the  country. — 
Description  of  the  walls  of  Babylon  and  objects  of  interest. — Cyrus. — The  cap- 
ture of  Babylon 379 

II. 
THE  JEWS  UNDER  THE  MEDO-PERSIANS. 
Darius. — Daniel  the  prophet  made  a  prince. — Death  of  Darius. — The  proclamation 
of  Cyrus. — Liberating  the  Jews. — Cyrus  fore-ordained  for  this  act. — The  in- 
fluence of  Daniel  in  restoration. — Zerubbabel  the  leader. — A  contribution  of 
over  three  hundred  and  fifty  thou.sand  dollars. — An  example  of  liberality. — 
Laying  the  foundation  of  the  second  temple. — Zoroaster  the  philosopher. — The 
Zend-Avesta. — Xerxes. — His  immense  army 387 

III. 
THE  JEWS  UNDER  THE  MEDO-PERSIANS. 
Artaxerxes  supposed  to  have  been  the  husband  of  Esther. — The  decree  of  divorce. — 
Ezra  and  his  commission. — The  prediction  of  Daniel. — Ezra's  government. — The 
great  work  of  his  life. — Introduction  of  tlie  synagogue. — Nehemiah  builds  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem. — Origin  of  the  Samaritan  pentateuch. — Malachi  the  last  of 
the  prophets. — Socrates  the  philosopher. — Plato  born 396 

IV. 
PROPHETS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY. 
Daniel. — His  three  companions. — Their  education. — Enrolled  among  the  king's  ser- 
vants.— Daniel's  interpretation  of  the  king's  dream. — Ilis  elevation  to  posts  of 


16  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

honor. — The  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar. — The  king's  second  dream. — Daniel's 
vision.?. — The  hand-writing  on  the  wall. — Honored  by  Darius. — In  tlie  den  of 
lions. — His  death.— Book  of  Daniel  doubted , 406 

V. 
PROPHETS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY, 

Ezekiel. — Contemporary  with  Jeremiah. — Called  to  the  prophetic  office. — Death  of 
his  wife. — Forbidden  to  mourn  for  her. — His  character  and  reputation  among  the 
Jews. — His  regard  for  Daniel. — His  probable  death  in  Chaldea  at  an  old  age.  .     .  414 

VI. 

PROPHETS  IN  JUDEA  AFTER  THE  RESTORATION. 

Haggai. — What  is  known  concerning  him. — Returns  from   captivity. — Zechariah. — 

Latter  part  of  his  book  called  in  question. — His  peculiarities. — Malachi. — Last 

of  the  prophets. — Date  of  his  labors. — General  character  of  this  book  of  proiDh- 

ecy 418 

VII. 

SKETCH  OF  JEWISH  HISTORY  BETWEEN  THE  TWO  TESTAMENTS. 
Dark  period  of  the  church's  history. — Fall  of  the  Persian  empire. — Alexander  the 
Great. — His  treatment  of  the  Jews. — His  remarkable  dream. — Its  results. — The 
request  of  the  Jews. — Alexander's  death. — Origin  of  the  Septuagint. — The 
famous  Alexandrian  library. — The  founder. — The  revolt  of  tlie  Maccabees. — 
Who  they  were. — The  Roman  sway  commenced. — Herod's  shocking  cruelty. — 
Origin  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees. — Their  belief. — Coming  of  Clirist.     .    .  426 


THIRD  BOOK. 

FEOM  THE  COMINa  OF  CHEIST  TO  THE  END. 

CONVERSATION. 
I. 

LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 
Year  of  birth  uncertain. — Singular  tradition  of  the  Jews. — The  seven  thousand 
years. — The  wise  men. — The  star  in  the  east. — What  it  was. — Jesus  among  the 
doctors. — John  the  Baptist. — Place  where  Christ  was  baptized. — First  miracle. 
— The  Sermon  on  the  Mount. — Jolm  belieaded  to  please  the  daugliter  of  Herod's 
wife 436 

II. 
LIFE  OF  CHRIST  CONTINUED. 

Miracles  of  Jesus. — His  journeys. — His  approaching  end. — His  transfiguration. — 
Paying  tribute. — Seventy  preachers  sent  out. — Raising  the  dead. — Endeavors  to 
entrap  the  Savior. — Tlie  rich  man  and  Lazarus. — Incidents  in  the  ministry  of 
Jesus 446 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  17 

III.  PAGE. 

LIFE  OF  CHRIST  CONTINUED. 
Contract  to  betray  Christ. — The  price  less  than  twenty  dollars. — An  astounding  revela- 
tion.— Tlie  garden  of  Gethsemane. — Crucifixion  a  Roman  mode  of  punishing  crim- 
inals.— The  message  of  Pilate's  wife  concerning  Jesus. — Tiie  death  on  the 
cross. — Burial  in  Joseph's  new  tomb. — The  resurrection. — Scenes  after. — The 
aiiceusion 457 

IV. 
THE  NEW  DISPENSATION. 
The  Old  and  the  New. — The  church  under  each. — Different  dispensations. — Com- 
mencement of  the  new. — Who  comprised  the  church  at  the  time  of  Christ's 
death. — The  Pentecost. — Changing  the  day  of  rest  or  Sabbath. — Reasons  of  the 
change. — The  form  of  admitting  new  members  into  the  church. — Acts  of  the 
Apostles 470 

V. 

THE  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH. 
How  it  was  formed. — Deacons  appointed  and  their  duties. — Vision  of  Stephen. — His 
cruel  death. — Persecution  of  the  Cliristians  — Saul  of  Tarsus. — Scattering  abroad. 
— Spread  of  the  gospel. — Laying  on  of  hands. — Saul's  conversion. — Peter  raises 
Lydia  from  the  dead. — Peter  in  prison 477 

VI. 
LIVES  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 

Peter. — Doctrines  of  the  Roman  church. — His  labors. — His  death  and  last  request. — 
Andrew. — Brother  to  Peter. — His  character  and  labors. — Origin  of  St.  Andrew's 
cross. — James  the  elder. — Brother  of  John. — First  to  suffer  martyrdom. — Roman 
traditions. — Philip. — First  called  by  Christ. — Supposed  field  of  labor  and  death.- — 
Nathaniel. — Special  friend  of  Peter. — What  tradition  says  of  him. — Matthew 
wealthy. — Author  of  one  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament. — Thomas. — His 
character. — Goes  to  Egypt  and  establishes  a  church  in  India 489 

VII. 
LIVES  OF  THE  APOSTLES  CONTINUED. 

Simon  Zelotes. — His  supposed  mission. — .Jude. — His  labors  and  work  among  the  Gen- 
tiles.— Matthias. — Taken  in  place  of  Judas. — James  the  Less. — Claimed  to  be  a 
brother  of  Christ. — Objections  to  this. — John. — His  labors  and  travels. — Tradi- 
tions.— Interesting  incident  in  his  life.      .    , 497 

vni. 

LIFE  OP  THE  APOSTLE  PAUL. 
A  Jew  and  also  a  Roman  citizen. — His  education. — His  persecution  of  Christians. — 
His  conversion. — Enters  immediately  upon  the  work  of  the  Christian  ministry. — 
Miracles  and  cures  performed. — Astonishment  of  the  people. — Stoned  by  the 
mob. — An  important  question  settled. — First  great  controversy  in  the  Christian 
church. — Peter  rebuked  by  Paul 506 


18  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


y-^  PAUK. 

LIFE  OF  THE  APOSTLE  PAUL  CONTINUED. 
Riot  of   the  silver-smiths.— Their  business  of  idol  making  in  danger. — Farewell  to 
Ephesus. — Return  to  Jerusalem. — Visit  to  the  house  of  James. — Paul's  artifice 
and  the  evil   results.— Rescued  from  danger  by  Roman  soldiers. — Paul  before 
Felix,  and  Agrippa. — A  noble  speech. — Shipwreck. — Paul  at  Hume. — His  death.  .  516 

X. 

COMPANIONS  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 
Mark. — His  connection  with  tlie  Apostles. — Manner  of  his  cruel  death. — Luke. — The 
beloved  physician. — His  association  with  Paul. — Barnabas. — Born  in  Cyprus. — His 
early  acquaintance  with  Paul. — Their  separation. — Timothy. — Early  piety.— Paul 
his  teacher  in  Christianity. — Accompanies  him. — Titus. — Another  of  Paul's  Evan- 
gelists.— Supposed  to  have  been  bishop  of  Crete 529 

XI. 

THE  EPISTLES  OF  PAUL. 

Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians. — Location  of  the  church. — Object  of  the  first  and  second 

epistles  to  the  Thessalonians, — The  letter  to  the  Galatians. — Great  need  of  this 

letter. — Galatia  and  wliy  so  called. — Paul's  defense  of  his  apostleship. — Proof  of 

his  commission; — His  apostleship  called  in  question 537 

XII. 
FIRST  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CORINTHIANS. 
Beauty  of  Corinth. — Great  commercial  importance. — Distinguished  for  wealth,  lux- 
ury and  dissipation. — Circumstances  connected  with  Paul's  first  visit  to  Corinth. 
— Becomes  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles. — Brought  before  Gallio. — Reproofs  and 
instructions. — Falsity  of  the  concluding  inscriptions  of  this  and  other  Epistles. — 
First  and  second  Epistles  to  Timothy 545 

xiir. 

PAUL'S  EPISTLE  TO  THE  ROMANS. 
When  written. — Peter  not  the  founder  of  the  church  at  Rome. — Doctrines  taught  by 
this  Book. — Discussions  aroused  by  this  Epistle. — Its  several  sub-divisions. — Prac- 
tical directions  for  Christians. — Beauty  and  value  of  the  instructions 557 

XIV. 
EPISTLES  OF  PAUL  CONTINUED. 
Paul's  first  voyage  to  Rome. — His  writings  while  there. — Epistle  to  the  Ephesians. — 
Christianity  introduced  there  by  Paul. — Analysis  of  this  letter. — The  Epistle  to 
the  Colossians. — The  first  church  established  by  Paul  and  Silas 562 

XV. 

EPISTLES  OF  PAUL  CONTINUED. 
Epistle  to  Philemon. — Who  Philemon  was. — The  servant  of  Philemon. — The  ques- 
tion of  human  slavery. — Did  Paul  countenance  it. — Epistle  to  the  Philippians. — 
Description  of  Philippi. — Paul  and  Silas  co-laborers  here. — Miraculous  deliver- 
ance from  prison. — Character  of  this  Epistle. 568 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS.  19 

XVI.  PAGE. 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  HEBREWS. 
The  Jews  to  whom  this  was  written. — Disputed  authorship. — The  leading  idea  of 
tliis   Epistle. — Bishop   Clement   of    Rome. — Paul's    friend. — Paul's    authorship 
establislied. — The  importance  of  the   authorship  of  this  Epistle. — One  of  the 
most  valued  parts  of  the  New  Testament 573 


XVII. 

EPISTLE  TO  TITUS. 
One  of  Paul's  evangelists. — His  field  of    labor. — Introduction  of    the  Gospel   into 
Crete. — The  commission  of   Titus  to  appoint  elder.s. — Second   Epistle  to  Tim- 
othy.— The  last  of  Paul's  Epistles. — Expectation  of  death. — In  prison. — Beauti- 
ful sentiments 582 

XVIII. 
THE  EPISTLE  TO  JAMES. 
Authorship  of  this  Epistle. — Unbelief  of  the  Lord's  brothers  and  kin  in  his  Messiah- 
ship. — James  tlie  bishop  of  Jerusalem. — The  scattered  tribes. — Who  they  were. 
— A  question. — Are  the  Ten  tribes  still  in  existence  as  a  distinct  people. — Epistle 
to  Jude. — Character  of  this  letter 588 

XIX. 
THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OP  PETER. 
The  strangers  mentioned  in  this   letter. — Who  they  were. — The  Jewish  school   at 
Babylon. — Its  distinguished  character. — The  Babylon  as  it  was  at  that  time. — 
Second  Epistle  of  Peter. — Its  design. — Important  doctrine  disclosed 594 


XX. 

THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN. 
Design  of  this  Epistle. — The  literal  body  of  Christ  denied. — John's  description  of 
Anti-Christ. — The  doctrine  of  the  atonement. — The  unpardonable  sin. — The  sec- 
ond and  third  Epistles  of  St.  John 600 

XXI. 

THE  REVELATION. 
Doubts  as  to  the  authorship. — Reasons  for  those  doubts. — When  written. — Banish- 
ment of  John. — State  of  the  Seven  Churches  at  this  time. — The  scheme  of  the 
Jesuits. — Different  interpretations 604 

XXII. 
THE  REVELATION  CONTINUED. 
Location  of  Patmos. — Use  of  it  by  the  Romans. — Vision  of  John. — Explanation  of 
the  symbols  of  the  first  two  chapters. — The  number  seven. — Cherubim. — What 
it  is. — The  sea  of  glass. — The  new  song. — Universal  salvation. — Is  it  universal?  .  609 


20  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

XXIII.                                                            ^'^«=' 
THE  REVELATION  CONTINUED. 
Predictions. — To  what  they  refer.— God's  design  in  making  the  Revelation. — Sym- 
bols.— What  they  are. — The  division  of  the  Apocalypse. — Explanation  of  the 
white  horse. — The  seven  seals. — The  seven  trumpets. — The  mighty  angel  with 
the  rainbow  about  his  head.— Adventism 617 

XXIV. 
THE  REVELATION  CONCLUDED. 
The  1260  days. — Their  significance  and  duration. — The  Millennium. — Difficulties  of 
ascertaining  the  time  of  its  coming. — One  valuable  clue. — Some  interesting  de- 
ductions.— The  first  resurrection. — What  we  are  to  understand  by  it. — The  beau- 
tiful City  of  God.— And  the  final  End  of  the  World 624 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


FIRST    BOOK. 

FROM  THE   BEGINNING  TO  THE  CAPTIVITY  IN   BABYLON. 


CONVERSATION  I. 

DO  WE  NEED  A  BIBLE  ?— Universal  desire  for  further  light.— The  Bible's  inspira- 
tion.— Its  necessity. — Nature  versus  Revelation. — Nature  the  only  light  of  the  heathen. — 
Its  abuse  and  perversion. — Nature's  insufficiency  confirmed. — Original  universality  of 
Revelation. — Subsequent  loss  and  reasons  for  its  slow  development  throughout  the  world. 

Son. — Yon  recommend  to  me,  dear  father,  a  careful  study  of  the 
Bible,  and  promise  to  assist  me  in  my  inquiries.  I  thank  you  for 
your  kindness,  and  shall  gladly  undertake  what  you  propose.  But 
if  I  study  the  Bible  at  all,  I  wish  to  do  it  understandingly ;  and  be- 
fore directly  entering  upon  it,  I  shall  be  glad  to  confer  with  you,  at 
some  length,  on  the  subject.  I  know  you  will  be  patient  with  me, 
and  give  me  all  the  assistance  in  your  power. 

The  Bible  professes  to  be  a  supernatural  revelation  from  God. 
Is  it  likely  that  God  has  ever  made  such  a  revelation  ?  Is  a  revela- 
tion like  this  necessary  for  us — so  necessary  as  to  call  for  such  a 
display  of  power  and  grace  ?  The  book  of  nature  is  ever  open  to 
us,  and  some  people  tell  us  that  this  is  enough.  Its  teachings,  they 
say,  are  clear  and  ample,  and  we  need  no  more. 

Father. — Your  inquiry,  my  son,  is  a  proper  one,  and  I  shall  be 
very  happy  to  discuss  it  with  you.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  depreciate 
the  light  and  the  teachings  of  nature.  They  are  of  great  impor- 
tance to  us,  and  should  be  thankfully  received.  They  are  sufficient 
to  teach  us  the  existence  and,  to  some  extent,  the  perfections  of 
God.  The  Apostle  Paul  tells  that  "  the  invisible  things  of  him  are 
clearly  seen,  being  understood  by  the  things  that  are  made,  even 
his  eternal  power  and  Godhead  "  (Rom.  i,  20).     The  light  of  nature 


22  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


I  deem  sufficient,  if  the  best  possible  use  were  made  of  it,  to  guide 
a  soul — even  a  sinful  soul — to  heaven.  Without  a  revelation,  we 
mig-ht  know  that  there  is  a  God,  and  that  we  are  sinners  against 
him.  We  might  feel  under  obligations  to  repent  of  sin,  and,  through 
the  power  of  the  Spirit,  might  be  led  to  repentance.  I  hope  some 
of  the  heathen  have  been  brought  to  repentance  in  this  way.  And 
sure  I  am  that  a  penitent  heathen  will  never  be  lost. 

S. — I  am  happy  to  hear  you  speak  in  this  way.  Your  words 
are  those  of  kindness  and  charity.  But  if  the  light  of  nature  can 
do  so  much  for  us,  what  need  have  we,  I  ask  again,  for  further 
light  ?  Is  not  this  sufficient  ? 

F. — I  have  spoken  of  what  might  be  done  in  heathen  lands, 
on  supposition  that  the  best  possible  use  was  made  of  the  light 
and  the  teachings  of  nature.  But  is  the  best  possible  use  made  of 
these  teachings  among  the  heathen?  Has  it  ever  been?  Is  it 
likely  to  be  ?  Is  not  the  light  of  nature  everywhere  perverted  and 
abused  ?  And  to  prevent  the  benighted  nations  from  all  perishing 
together,  do  they  not  need  a  clearer  and  a  stronger  light — a  light 
shining  down  upon  them  directly  from  heaven  ? 

S. — Perhaps  they  do. 

F. — If  you  will  give  me  your  attention  for  a  moment,  I  will 
set  before  you,  in  the  fewest  words  possible,  some  of  the  reasons 
which  satisfy  me  that,  in  addition  to  all  that  reason  and  nature  have 
done,  we  do  need  a  direct  revelation  from  God.  A  revelation  is 
needed,  in  the  first  place,  to  make  us  acquainted  with  many  impor- 
tant truths  concerning  which  the  teachings  of  nature  afford  no  light 
at  all.  Such,  for  example,  is  the  peculiar  mode  of  the  Divine  ex- 
istence— three  persons  in  one  Gou ,  he  appropriate  manner  of  wor- 
shiping the  Supreme  Being ;  the  introduction  of  sin  ;  the  gift  of  the 
Savior ;  the  doctrine  of  atonement  by  his  death ;  the  descent  and 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  provisions  and  ordinances  of  the  gos- 
pel ;  the  resurrection  of  the  body ;  the  general  judgment ;  with  the 
endless  awards  and  retributions  which  are  to  follow  it.  Now  these 
are  all  important  truths, — some  of  them  vastly  and  vitally  so.     Yet 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  23 

they  are  subjects  in  regard  to  which  nature's  voice  is  dumb.  She 
teaches  nothing  contrary  to  them,  and  nothing  about  them.  They 
are  purely  subjects  of  revelation.  And  do  we  not  need  a  revelation 
to  enlighten  us  in  regard  to  topics  such  as  these  ?  On  subjects  so 
essential  to  our  spiritual  and  eternal  welfare,  to  our  happiness  in 
this  world  and  forever,  how  can  we  afford  to  live  and  die  in  igno- 
rance and  darkness  ? 

But  this  is  not  all.  We  need  a  revelation,  not  only  to  make  us 
acquainted  with  new  and  important  truths,  but  to  republish  and 
confirm  many  things  which  are  taught  by  the  light  of  nature,  to 
give  weight  and  authority  to  them,  and  thus  make  them  effectual 
for  the  recovery  and  salvation  of  men.  Dim  as  the  light  of  nature 
is,  those  who  have  no  other  light  knoiv,  in  the  general,  much  better 
than  they  do  ;  and  they  will  be  condemned  hereafter,  not  for  their 
want  of  light,  but  for  their  abuse  of  it.  They  sin  against  the  light 
they  have.  They  break  the  law  of  God  inscribed  upon  the  con- 
science and  the  heart,  and  do  violence  to  their  own  convictions  of 
duty.  In  short,  the  motives  which  the  religion  of  nature  presents, 
though  sufficient  to  leave  the  heathen  without  excuse,  are  found 
practically  to  have  but  little  influence.  They  need  the  more  ex- 
citing and  weighty  motives  of  the  gospel  to  restrain  and  subdue 
the  power  of  sin,  and,  by  the  Divine  blessing,  to  become  the  means 
of  their  salvation. 

S, — Are  the  positions  you  have  here  taken  confirmed  in  the  his- 
tory of  heathen  nations  ? 

F. — Yes,  and  much  more  than  confirmed.  Look  at  the  religions 
of  these  nations — a  miserable  compound  of  absurdity,  superstition 
and  corruption.  Their  divinities  are,  for  the  most  part,  monsters 
of  wickedness, — vindictive  and  sanguinary,  jealous,  wrathful,  cruel 
and  obscene.  And  the  morals  of  heathen  nations  are  no  better 
than  their  religions.  No  people  can  be  expected  to  be  much  better 
than  their  gods ;  and  certainly,  if  the  heathen  are  no  better  than 
their  gods,  their  characters  must  be  miserably  defective.  In  conse- 
quence of  the  labors  of  missionaries,  this  subject  is  much  better 


24  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

understood  than  it  was  only  a  few  years  ago ;  and  every  ray  of  light 
which  has  been  shed  upon  it  serves  only  to  reveal  the  grossness  of 
its  enormities.  Not  a  missionary  paper  or  journal  is  published, 
touching  the  religious  rites  of  the  heathen  nations,  which  is  not  a 
standing  testimony  to  their  need  of  a  revelation  from  heaven. 

S. — You  have  certainly  made  out  a  strong  case  in  regard  to  our 
need  of  a  revelation.  There  is  no  gainsaying  it,  still,  I  have  one 
more  question  to  ask.  If  a  revelation  from  heaven  is  so  necessary 
for  man,  why  has  it  been  confined  to  only  a  small  part  of  the  human 
race  ?     Why  has  it  not  been  given  to  all  men  ? 

F. — These  certainly  are  fair  questions.  I  shall  endeavor  to  give 
to  them  a  fair  and  sufficient  answer.  You  will  remember  then,  that, 
at  the  first,  God  did  reveal  himself  to  all  men,  and  to  all  alike. 
The  revelations  which  were  made  to  our  first  parents,  and  to  their 
immediate  descendants,  were  a  common  gift.  They  were  imparted 
and  intended  for  the  benefit  of  the  race.  And  then,  at  the  repeo- 
pling  of  the  world  by  Noah,  God  again  revealed  himself  to  all  alike. 
He  revealed  himself  not  only  to  the  posterity  of  Shem,  but  to  the 
immediate  descendants  of  Ham  and  Japhet.  The  proper  question, 
therefore,  is  not,  Avhy  has  not  God  given  his  revelations  to  all  men ; 
but,  why  have  his  revelations  been,  to  so  great  an  extent,  disre- 
garded and  lost  ?  They  ivere  originally  made  to  all ;  but  vast  portions 
of  our  corrupted  family,  because  they  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in 
their  knowledge,  have  lost  them,  and  have  sunk  into  heathenish 
darkness  and  ignorance. 

And  after  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  was  lost,  except  in 
the  family  of  Abraham,  what  pains  were  taken  (if  I  may  be  allowed 
such  an  expression)  to  extend  this  important  knowledge  to  the 
surrounding  nations?  For  this  purpose,  Abraham  was  sent  into 
Canaan,  and  the  Israelites  into  Egypt,  and  Jonah  to  Nineveh,  and 
the  Jews  to  Babylon.  Prophecies  were  uttered  and  fulfilled,  mir- 
acles were  wrought,  and  Divine  judgments  were  inflicted,  that,  as 
the  Scriptures  express  it,  "  all  the  people  of  the  earth  might  know 
the  hand  of  the  Lord,  and  might  fear  his  name  forever  "  (Josh.  iv. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  25 

24).  And  almost  two  thousand  years  ago,  Christ  left  it  in  solemn 
injunction  to  his  disciples,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature."  Surely  then,  whoever  else  may  be  to 
blame  that  the  revelations  of  God  are  not  more  widely  diffused, 
he  is  abundantly  clear  in  this  matter.  No  reasonable  objection  can 
be  sustained  against  him. 


CONVERSATION  II. 

WHAT  BELONGS  TO  THE  BIBLE  ?— Apocryphal  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments— Their  exclusion. — Authority  of  the  received  books. — The  majority  of  one  a 
fiction. — Books  of  the  Bible. — Their  preservation. — Collected  by  Ezra. — Later  Addi- 
tions.—Jewish  manuscripts  and  our  present  Bible. — Do  they  agree  1 — Probabilities  and 
proofs. — First  acceptance  of  the  Apocryphal  books  by  the  Eoman  Church. — Their  in- 
credible absurdity. — Their  value. — Canon  of  the  New  Testament. — Council  of  Laodicea. 
— Revelation  of  John. — Genuineness  of  the  accepted  books. 

Son. — Before  entering  directly  upon  the  study  of  the  Bible,  there 
are  some  further  preliminaries  requiring  to  be  settled.  Besides 
what  is  contained  within  the  covers  of  our  Bibles,  there  are  other 
books  claiming  to  belong  there.  There  are  the  apocryphal  books 
of  both  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  Why  are  they  excluded, 
and  by  what  authority  ?  We  hear  of  a  council  called  in  the  early 
days  of  the  church,  to  determine  what  books  should  go  into  the 
Bible,  and  that  the  question  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  received 
books  by  a  majority  of  one.  Was  such  a  council  ever  held?  And 
if  so,  on  what  authority  was  their  decision  based?  In  short,  I 
wish  to  know,  before  proceeding  further,  what  books  belong  to  the 
Bible,  and  what  not. 

Father. — Your  request  is  reasonable,  my  son,  and  I  will  endeavor 
to  answer  it.  As  to  the  council  of  which  you  have  heard,  which 
decided  in  favor  of  the  received  books  by  a  majority  of  one,  suffice 
it  to  say  that  no  such  council  ever  existed.  The  story  is  a  fiction 
of  modern  infidelity.  There  were  councils  in  the  third  and  fourth 
centuries  which  recorded  the  books  actually  received  by  the 
churches,  but  none  which  were  called  together  to  decide  what 
books  ought  to  be  received. 

S. — Please  tell  us,  first,  about  the  history  of  the  Old  Testament. 

F. — The  Old  Testament  consists  of  thirty-nine  books,  written  by 
different  persons  and  at  different  times,  from  Moses  to  the  latest 
of  the  Hebrew  prophets.  These  books,  or  so  many  of  them  as  had 
then  been  written,  were  carefully  preserved  in  the  Sanctuary  until 
the  destruction  of  the  temple  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  when  the  sacred 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  27 


autographs  were  probably  destroyed.  Copies  of  them  were,  how- 
ever, preserved;  and  after  the  return  from  Babylon,  the  books 
were  collected,  edited,  and  published  in  a  volume,  by  Ezra,  an  in- 
spired priest.  Some  books,  however,  were  added  after  the  days  of 
Ezra.  Such  were  the  prophecy  of  Malachi,  the  books  of  Nehemiah 
and  Esther,  and  some  parts  of  the  books  of  Chronicles. 

S. — But  you  seem  to  deal  in  probabilities.  Is  there  not  some- 
thing more  decisive  to  be  advanced  ? 

F. — I  have  given  you  the  probable  history  of  the  books  of  the 
Old  Testament,  as  we  have  received  them  from  the  Jews.  In  view 
of  it,  two  questions  arise,  and  only  two,  which,  as  Christia7is,  we 
are  entitled  to  ask.  First,  did  the  Old  Testament,  as  it  existed  in 
the  days  of  our  Savior,  receive  his  sanction  ?  And,  secondly,  did 
the  Old  Testament,  which  he  sanctioned,  contain  the  same  books  as 
ours  ? 

That  our  Savior  received  and  sanctioned  what  he  usually  called 
the  Scriptures,  regarding  them  as  the  word  of  God,  and  as  of  bind- 
ing authority,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  It  was  these  out  of  which  he 
reasoned ;  to  these  he  constantly  appealed ;  it  was  these  which  he 
opened  and  explained  to  his  followers ;  it  was  by  these  that  he 
silenced  and  confounded  his  adversaries.  "  Search  the  Scriptures, 
for  in  them  je  think  ye  have  eternal  life."  "  The  Scriptures  cannot 
be  broken."  "  Blessed  are  they  that  hear  the  word  of  God,  and 
keep  it."  Our  Savior  speaks  of  the  sacred  writings  under  the  three- 
fold division  of  "  the  law,  the  prophets,  and  the  psalms ; "  and  says 
that  all  things  written  in  them  concerning  him  must  be  fulfilled 
(Luke  xxiv.  44).  It  is  a  fact,  then,  that  our  Savior  did  sanction, 
in  the  most  explicit  terms,  a  class  of  writings  held  sacred  among 
the  Jews,  speaking  of  them  as  "  the  word  of  God,  which  must  be 
fulfilled." 

We  come  then  to  our  second  question.  Were  the  Scriptures,  which 
our  Savior  thus  confirmed  and  sanctioned,  the  same  as  our  Old  Tes- 
tament ?  In  other  words,  did  his  Old  Testament  and  ours  agree  ? 
Were  the  books  the  same?      If  it  can  be  shown  that  thev  were 


28  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  same,  I  insist  that,  as  Christians,  we  should  ask  no  more  ques- 
tions. 

S. — Thus  far,  the  argument  seems  to  me  decisive.  But  I  want 
to  hear  your  answer  to  the  second  question. 

F. — That  the  books  of  the  Okl  Testament  are  the  same  now  that 
they  were  in  the  days  of  Christ  and  the  Apostles,  will  be  evident, 
I  think,  from  the  following  considerations : 

1.  The  Septuagint  translation  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  was 
made  long  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  contains  all  the  present  canon- 
ical books.  Certain  apocryphal  writings  have  since  been  bound  up 
with  the  Septuagint,  but  there  is  no  reason  to  think  that  they  made 
any  part  of  it  in  the  days  of  our  Savior. 

2.  Josephus,  who  lived  in  the  first  century,  gives  an  account  of 
the  sacred  books  of  the  Jews  in  his  time  ;  and  it  is  evident  from  his 
description  of  them,  that  they  were  the  same  as  ours.  He  speaks, 
indeed,  of  but  twenty-two  books  ;  but  this  is  to  be  accounted  for 
from  a  device  of  the  Rabbins  to  make  the  number  of  books  corre- 
spond exactly  with  the  number  of  Hebrew  letters.  To  effect  this, 
they  joined  together  several  of  the  books ;  as  Judges  and  Ruth, 
Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  Jeremiah  and  the  Lamentations,  and  all  the 
minor  prophets.  Josephus  gives  an  account  of  the  authors  and 
contents  of  the  several  books.  "  Five  of  them  proceed  from  Moses. 
These  include  the  laws,  and  an  account  of  the  creation  of  man,  ex- 
tending to  the  time  of  Moses'  death — a  period  of  almost  three  thou- 
sand years.  From  the  death  of  Moses  to  that  of  Artaxerxes,  king  of 
Persia,  the  prophets  who  succeeded  Moses  committed  to  writing, 
in  thirteen  books,  what  was  done  in  their  day.  The  remaining  four 
books  contain  hymns  to  God,  and  instructions  of  life  for  man."* 
It  will  be  seen  that  this  division  of  the  books  corresponds  entirely 
to  that  mentioned  by  our  Savior — "  The  law,  the  prophets,  and  the 
psalms."     It  agrees  also  with  the  Old  Testament  of  the  present  day. 

3.  Several  of  the  Christian  Fathers  furnish  catalogues  of  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and  although  there  are  slight  varia- 

*Against  Apion,  Book  i,  sect.  8. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  29 

tions  in  these  catalogues,  it  is  certain  that  the  canon  was  settled  in 
those  early  times,  and  has  undergone  no  alteration  since. 

4.  Since  the  time  of  Christ,  the  Jews  and  Christians  have  been 
spies  upon  each  other ;  so  that,  if  either  party  was  disposed  to  dis- 
turb the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  would  be  impossible  to 
effect  it  without  instant  exposure. 

From  all  these  considerations,  we  may  be  sure  that  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  the  same  now  that  it  was  in  the  time  of  Christ ;  and 
since  he  received  and  sanctioned  it,  as  it  then  was,  we  have  his  sanc- 
tion for  it  as  it  noto  is.  And  this,  as  I  said,  is  enough  for  Chris- 
tians. We  cannot  be  in  fault  in  receiving  and  holding  the  Old 
Testament  Scriptures  as  they  were  held  by  our  blessed  Lord. 

This  argument  is  not  only  conclusive  upon  Christians,  but  it  is 
comprehensive.  It  settles  the  authority  not  only  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  the  general,  but  of  each  and  every  book  comprised  in  it. 
We  have  no  occasion  to  prove  the  authority  of  any  particular  book, 
as,  for  example,  the  Canticles,  or  the  book  of  Esther,  any  further 
than  to  show  that  it  belonged  to  the  canon  in  the  time  of  Christ, 
and  as  such  received  his  Divine  approval. 

S. — But  in  connection  with  our  Bibles,  we  frequently  find  a  class 
of  apocryphal  books  ;  and  the  question  arises,  Why  are  not  these  of 
canonical  authority  ?  Why  should  they  not  be  received  by  us,  as 
they  are  by  the  church  of  Rome  ? 

F. — In  reply  to  this,  I  observe,  first,  that  these  books  are  not 
found  in  the  Hebrew  Bible.  They  were  written  originally,  not  in 
Hebrew,  but  in  Greek, — a  language  which  was  not  common  among 
the  Jews  until  long  after  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  was  closed. 
Secondly,  these  books  have  never  been  received  into  the  canon  of 
the  Jews.  They  are  ancient  Jewish  writings,  but  have  never  been 
held  by  that  people  as  inspired,  or  as  a  part  of  their  Bible.  Then, 
thirdly,  these  books  are  never  quoted  or  referred  to  in  the  New 
Testament,  as  possessing  any  Divine  authorit}'.  Indeed,  they  are  not 
quoted  at  all.  Fourthly,  these  books  were  not  received  as  canonical 
by  the  Christian  fathers,  but  were  expressly  declared  to  be  apocry- 


30  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

phal.  Indeed,  until  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  most 
learned  and  judicious  popish  writers  adhere  to  the  opinion  of  the 
ancient  fathers,  and  declare  against  the  canonical  authority  of  the 
apocryphal  books. 

But  if  there  was  no  other  argument  against  these  books,  the  in- 
ternal evidence  would  be  decisive.  They  contain  many  things 
which  are  fabulous,  absurd,  and  incredible.  They  inculcate  false 
doctrine,  and  a  false  and  unchristian  morality.  In  the  second  of 
the  Maccabees,  we  read :  "  It  is  a  holy  and  wholesome  thought  to 
pray  for  the  dead,  that  they  may  be  loosed  from  their  sins  "  (Chap, 
xii.  43,  45).  The  writer  of  the  same  book  justifies  and  commends 
suicide  (see  Chap.  xiv.  41,  42).  In  several  places  in  the  Apocrypha, 
atonement  and  justification  are  said  to  be  secured  by  good  works. 
"  Whoso  honoreth  his  father  maketh  atonement  for  his  sins  "  (Ecc. 
iii.  3).  "Alms  delivereth  from  death,  and  shall  purge  away  all  sin" 
(Tobit  xii.  9). 

*S'. — But  these  Apocryphal  books  are  very  readable,  and  some  of 
them  contain  much  valuable  information. 

F. — In  judging  of  the  Apocryphal  books,  I  would  award  them  all 
the  praise  to  which  they  can  be  regarded  as  entitled.  They  possess 
a  high  value  considered  as  ancient  Jewish  writings,  which  not  only 
throw  light  upon  the  phraseology  of  Scripture,  and  upon  the  his- 
tory and  manners  of  the  East,  but  exhibit  the  state  of  the  Jewish 
nation  at  a  very  interesting  and  critical  period  of  its  history.  Still, 
they  have  no  claim  to  be  admitted  into  the  sacred  canon,  or  to  be 
regarded  as  of  Divine  authority.  The  English  liturgy  enjoins  the 
reading  of  certain  portions  of  these  books  in  the  churches ;  and  it 
is  on  this  account,  probably,  that  we  so  often  find  them  enclosed 
within  the  covers  of  our  Bibles. 

^S'. — Will  you  now  inform  us,  briefly,  as  to  the  canon  of  the  New 
Testament  ? 

F. — Like  that  of  the  Old  Testament,  this  seems  not  to  have  been 
settled  at  once.  The  Apostle  Peter  was  acquainted  with  the  Epis- 
tles of  Paul,  and  places  them  on  a  level  with  "  the  other  Scriptures  " 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  31 

(II  Peter  iii.  16).  Eusebius  tells  us  that  John  was  acquainted  with 
the  other  three  Gospels,  gave  them  his  approbation,  and  wrote  his 
own  as  a  supplement  to  them, — which  accords  entirely  with  the 
contents  of  John's  Gospel.  In  all  probability,  John  was  acquainted 
with  most  of  the  other  books  of  the  New  Testament,  as  their  au- 
thority seems  to  have  been  established  soon  after  his  death.  Their 
authority  was  not  established  however  (as  infidels  have  pretended) 
by  any  decree  of  council,  or  by  any  formal  act  of  the  whole  church, 
but  by  the  testimony  of  competent  witnesses,  and  by  the  various 
evidences  presented  in  behalf  of  the  received  books,  that  they  really 
were  the  works  of  inspired  men,  and  carried  with  them  the  author- 
ity of  God.  The  council  of  Laodicea,  which  assembled  in  the  year 
364,  published  a  catalogue  of  received  books ;  but  their  decree  was 
not  so  much  legislative  as  declaratory^  setting  forth  what  was,  and 
had  been,  the  sense  of  the  church  in  regard  to  this  important  matter. 

S. — This  was  an  important  point  to  be  decided  in  the  early  church. 
Is  there  evidence  that  the  fathers  examined  it  with  care,  and  settled 
it  truthfully  ? 

F. — In  settling  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament,  the  fathers  seem 
to  have  proceeded  with  great  care  and  deliberation.  They  did  not 
receive  everything  which  was  thrown  out  upon  the  world  under  the 
name  of  apostolical  men.  The  claims  of  every  book  were  can- 
vassed, and  nothing  was  admitted  but  upon  the  fullest  examination. 
It  was  owing  to  this  circumstance,  that  doubts  were,  for  a  time, 
entertained  with  regard  to  some  of  the  received  books;  as,  for 
example,  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  the  second  Epistle  of  Peter, 
the  two  short  Epistles  of  John,  and  the  Revelation.  We  know  why 
doubts  were  entertained  respecting  these  books,  and  how  they  were 
removed.  We  have  the  means  of  judging  in  regard  to  this  matter 
almost  as  well  as  the  fathers  themselves. 

S. — Do  we  know  on  what  principles  the  early  fathers  proceeded 
in  deciding  upon  the  several  books? 

F. — They  would  admit  such  books,  and  such  only,  as  could  be 
proved  to  have  been  written   by  the  Apostles   themselves,  or  by 


32  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

their  attendants,  and  under  their  inspection.  Thus  the  Gospels  of 
Mark  and  Luke,  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  were  received  into 
the  canon,  because,  though  not  written  by  Apostles,  they  were 
written  by  the  attendants  of  Peter  and  Paul,  and  undoubtedly  re- 
ceived their  sanction.  Regard  was  also  had  to  the  contents  of  the 
books  received.  Anything  occurring  in  any  particular  book  which 
was  contrary  to  what  the  Apostles  taught,  or  to  the  rules  which 
they  established,  would  be  deemed  a  sufficient  reason  for  rejecting 
the  book.  Also,  in  deciding  upon  the  claims  of  a  book,  authority 
and  example  were  allowed  to  have  due  weight.  With  those  who 
had  not  had  opportunity  of  personal  knowledge  and  examination, 
the  judgment  and  practice  of  other  churches  and  individuals  had, 
— as  it  should  have  had, — much  influence. 

It  was  on  principles  such  as  these,  and  after  much  care  and  delib- 
eration, that  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament  was  finally  settled. 
It  was  settled  during  the  first  half  of  the  second  century,  within 
fifty  years  of  the  death  of  the  Apostle  John. 

>S'. — Many  books  were  published  during  the  first  four  centuries, 
bearing  the  names  of  Apostles,  or  of  Apostolical  men,  and  claiming 
to  possess  a  Divine  authority.  Several  of  these  have  been  pub- 
lished in  a  volume,  under  the  title  of  "  Apocryphal  books  of  the 
New  Testament."     Can  you  tell  us  why  these  books  were  rejected  ? 

F. — The  reasons  for  rejecting  them  were  such  as  these :  They  are 
not  acknowledged  or  quoted  as  of  any  authority  by  the  early 
Christian  fathers.  Indeed,  the  most  of  them  are  not  quoted  at 
all,  as  they  had  no  existence  before  the  third  century.  They  are 
not  quoted  by  the  earliest  enemies  of  Christianity,  as  they  certainly 
would  have  been,  had  they  been  extant,  and  been  generally  re- 
ceived by  Christians.  These  apocryphal  books  contradict,  in  many 
points,  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  the  Apostles.  Things  are  often 
mentioned  in  them  which  occurred  later  than  the  time  when  the 
books  purport  to  have  been  written.  They  contain  contradictions 
of  authentic  history,  both  sacred  and  profane.  The  style  and  man- 
ner of  the  books  is  exceedingly  diverse  from,  and  inferior  to,  that 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  33 

of  the  Apostolical  writings.  In  short,  they  contain  many  things 
ludicrous,  frivolous  and  absurd,  and  in  not  a  few  instances  palpable 
falsehoods.  Thus,  in  one  of  the  pretended  epistles  of  Seneca  to 
Paul,  the  Emperor  Nero  is  said  to  have  been  surprised  and  delighted 
with  Paul's  Epistles  to  the  churches. 

On  the  whole,  we  have  abundant  reason  to  acquiesce  in  the  decis- 
ions of  the  early  fathers  and  churches,  both  as  to  what  they  received 
as  coming  from  God,  and  what  they  rejected.  They  had  the  best 
means  of  judging  in  regard  to  this  important  matter ;  they  looked 
into  it  considerately  and  carefully ;  they  proceeded  upon  the  sound- 
est principles ;  and  we  may  well  be  satisfied  with  their  decisions. 

3 


CONVERSATION  III. 

BY  WHOM  AND  WHEN  WERE  THE  BOOKS  OF  THE   BIBLE   WRITTEN?— 

Books  of  the  Bible  chronologically  untrue,  and  the  authors  not  as  represented. — Fallacy 
of  such  an  assertion. — Proofs  of  genuineness. — The  books  of  the  New  Testament. — 
Investigation  concerning  them. — Facts  and  conclusions  regarding  the  I)ooks  of  the  Old 
Testament. — External  testimony  in  proof. — Internal  evidence. — Enemies  and  infidels. — 
Research  of  modern  times. — Difficulties  and  objections  removed. 

Son. — I  have  other  questions  to  ask  in  regard  to  the  books  of 
the  Bible,  before  I  enter  upon  the  study  of  them.  I  mean  not  to  be 
tedious,  but  I  want  to  tread  on  solid  ground.  It  is  pretended,  you 
know,  that  most  of  these  books  were  written,  not  at  the  times  com- 
monly supposed,  nor  by  the  persons  to  whom  they  are  respectively 
attributed.  The  books  ascribed  to  Moses,  it  is  said,  must  have 
been  written  subsequent  to  the  captivity ;  and  the  book  of  Daniel 
later  than  the  time  of  the  Syrian  kings ;  and  the  four  gospels  as 
late  as  the  third  or  fourth  century.  Now  I  wish  to  know,  if  possi- 
ble, when  these  books  were  written,  and  by  whom.  Can  you  give 
us  any  light  in  regard  to  this  matter  ? 

Father. — Your  inquiry  relates  to  what  is  commonly  called  the  au- 
tlienticity  of  the  sacred  writings.  On  this  point  J  may  remark,  in 
general,  that  we  have  stronger  reasons  for  believing  in  the  authen- 
ticity of  our  sacred  books  than  we  have  for  holding  the  same  opin- 
ion with  regard  to  any  other  ancient  books  or  writings.  Let  the 
evidence  be  collected  in  favor  of  the  authenticity  of  any  of  the 
distinguished  works  of  the  ancients ;  for  examj)le,  the  Orations  of 
Cicero,  or  the  Odes  of  Horace,  or  the  iEneid  of  Virgil,  and  I  will 
undertake  to  produce  stronger  evidence  in  support  of  the  authen- 
ticity of  almost  any  of  our  sacred  books.  To  begin  with  the  books 
of  the  New  Testament :  We  certainly  know,  from  a  great  variety  of 
historical  evidence,  that  these  books  Avere  in  existence  near  the  time 
when  they  purport  to  have  been  written.  They  are  not  only  re- 
ferred to,  but  expressly  spoken  of,  and  largely  quoted  by  writers  of 
that  period.     We  know,  too,  that  they  were  then  attributed  both 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  35 

by  friends  and  enemies,  and  have  all  along  been  attributed,  to  the 
individuals  whose  names  they  bear. 

The  books  of  the  Old  Testament  were  certainly  in  existence  when 
those  of  the  New  were  written,  and  had  been  for  ages  previous. 
They  had  been  collected  into  a  volume,  and  translated  into  Greek, 
more  than  two  centuries  before  the  birth  of  Christ.  At  the  time  of 
their  translation,  they  were  regarded  as  very  ancient  writings.  The 
primitive  Christians  received  these  books  from  the  Jews,  all  of  whom, 
both  ancient  and  modern,  unite  in  ascribing  them  to  those  holy 
and  venerable  men,  to  whom  they  are  now  respectively  attributed. 

The  early  Christians,  as  was  remarked  in  our  last  conversation, 
had  the  best  opportunities  for  testing  the  authenticity  of  the  books 
they  received.  We  know,  too,  that  they  were  exceedingly  cautious 
in  this  matter,  looking  well  into  the  evidence  of  things,  sifting  it 
to  the  bottom,  doubting  where  doubts  could  be  reasonably  enter- 
tained, and  rejecting  whatever  was  found  to  lack  sufficient  proof ; 
and  it  should  seem  that  the  grounds  on  which  they  satisfied  them- 
selves ought  to  be  sufficient  to  satisfy  us. 

Let  it  be  further  considered,  if  our  sacred  books  are  not  the  pro- 
ductions of  those  whose  names  they  bear,  then  they  are  forgeries. 
But  forged  when,  and  by  whom  ?  Who  can  give  any  probable 
or  even  plausible  answer  to  either  of  these  questions?  And  if 
these  books  were  forged,  how  are  Ave  to  account  for  their  original 
reception?  Would  the  Jews,  for  example,  have  received  their 
laws,  purporting  to  have  been  given  by  Moses,  from  any  hand  but 
that  of  Moses  ?  Or  would  the  primitive  Christians  have  received 
their  sacred  books  from  any  other  hands  than  those  of  the  Apostles 
and  evangelists?  They  promptly  rejected  everything  which  was 
attempted  to  be  palmed  upon  them  from  other  hands ;  and  they 
would  have  rejected  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  had  they  not 
been  fully  satisfied  as  to  their  genuineness. 

S. — Have  we  any  external  testimony  as  to  the  authenticity  of  our 
sacred  books  ?  ]\Iore  especially,  have  we  any  from  the  early  ene- 
mies of  Christianity? 


36  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — Yes,  testimony  in  abundance.  Among  the  ancient  heathen 
who  wrote  against  Christianity,  and  whose  writings  have,  in  part, 
come  down  to  us,  were  Celsus,  a  philosopher  of  the  second  century, 
and  Porphyry  of  the  third,  and  the  Emperor  Julian,  once  a  pro- 
fessed Christian,  but  afterwards  a  bitter  opposer  of  the  truth. 
Celsus,  who  wrote  within  sixty  years  of  the  Apostolic  age,  so  far 
from  denying  the  authenticity  of  the  Gospels,  insists  that  they  are 
authentic, — the  works  of  the  personal  friends  and  followers  of  the 
Nazarene ;  ahd  he  undertakes  to  refute  the  Christians  out  of  their 
own  acknowledged  books.  He  quotes  freely  from  all  parts  of  the 
Bible,  speaking  of  it  as  a  collection  of  writings  which  the  Christians 
of  that  day  regarded  as  of  the  highest  authority.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  Porphyry  and  Julian ;  though  we  know  less  of  the  charac- 
ter of  their  writings,  as  fewer  fragments  of  them  remain.  The  infi- 
dels of  that  age  had  no  thought  of  denying  the  authenticity  of  our 
sacred  books.  They  rather  assumed  their  authenticity,  and  argued 
from  it  in  opposition  to  their  truth. 

*S'. — And  what  said  the  early  heretics  on  this  subject  ? 

F. — The  church  was  early  infested  with  heretics,  who  denied  the 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  were  interested  to  get  rid  of  those 
parts  of  Scripture  in  which  these  doctrines  were  inculcated.  Such 
were  Corinthus,  the  Ebionites,  and  the  Nazarenes.  They  all  denied 
the  Apostleship  of  Paul,  and  rejected  his  Epistles  as  constituting 
any  part  of  Scripture.  Still,  they  did  not  doubt  the  authenticity 
of  these  Epistles.  They  admitted  that  Paul  wrote  them  with  his 
own  hand.  In  the  same  way,  and  for  the  same  reason,  they  rejected 
the  Gospels  of  Mark,  Luke,  and  John ;  receiving  only  a  corrupted 
copy  of  the  Gospel  of  Matthew.  Still,  they  did  not  deny  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  three  rejected  Gospels,  but  discarded  them  on 
other  grounds.  They  disliked  their  contents,  and  wished  to  be  rid 
of  them. 

S. — In  proving  the  authenticity  of  our  sacred  books,  may  any 
arguments  be  drawn  from  the  books  themselves  ? 

F. — Yes,  there  are  many  such.     Take,  for  example,  their  frequent 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  37 

and  accurate  allusions  to  extemporaneous  events.  The  allusions  in 
the  books  of  Moses  to  various  historical  events  prove  that  tliese 
books  must  have  been  written  about  the  time  of  Moses.  The 
knowledge  of  a  later  writer  would  not  have  been  sufficiently  minute 
and  accurate.  And  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  allusions  generally 
in  the  other  books  of  the  Bible.  They  are  numerous,  particular, 
evidently  undesigned,  and  yet  (so  far  as  can  be  gathered  from  other 
sources)  entirely  accurate. 

Then  the  different  books  of  Scripture  go  to  confirm  the  authen- 
ticity one  of  another.  For  example  ;  it  is  claimed  that  the  books 
of  Moses  were  the  first  written  of  any  part  of  the  Old  Testament ; 
and  who  that  reads  attentively  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  can 
doubt  the  truth  of  this  ?  The  allusions  all  the  way  to  the  Jewish 
law,  and  more  especially  to  the  ritual  parts  of  it,  are  so  frequent, 
and  so  manifestly  incidental,  as  to  prove  that  the  law  must  have 
been  in  existence,  and  in  binding  force,  when  the  other  books  were 
written.  It  is  claimed  that  a  part  of  the  prophets  were  cotempo- 
rary  with  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel ;  that  others  wrote  during 
the  captivity ;  and  still  others  after  the  caj)tivity.  Now  let  any  in- 
telligent, fair-minded  person  compare  the  historical  and  prophetical 
books,  to  see  whether  the  allusions,  one  way  and  the  other,  are  ac- 
curate, and  I  am  sure  he  can  come  to  but  one  conclusion.  He 
will  say,  that  Isaiah  and  Hezekiah,  that  Jeremiah  and  Zedekiah, 
that  Daniel  and  Nebuchadnezzar,  that  Haggai  and  Zerubbabel,  must 
have  lived  and  flourished  together.  It  is  further  claimed  that  the 
same  Paul,  whose  history  is  given  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  is 
the  author  of  the  Epistles  which  bear  his  name ;  and  that  most  of 
these  Epistles  were  written  while  this  history  was  in  progress. 
We  are  entitled,  therefore,  to  compare  the  Acts  and  the  Epistles, 
and  see  if  this  claim  is  one  of  truth.  This  work,  I  hardly  need 
say,  has  been  done  to  our  hand  by  Dr.  Paley,  in  his  admirable 
little  work  entitled  Horse  Paulinse,  and  no  candid  person  can  read 
that  book  and  not  be  satisfied. 

S. — After  all  the  efforts  which  have  been  made,  in  our  day,  to 


38  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

disprove  the  authenticity  of  our  sacred  books,  do  you  regard  the 
evidence  in  support  of  it  as  increasing  or  diminishing  ?  Is  it  be- 
coming weaker,  or  is  it  gaining  strength  ? 

F. — I  have  no  doubt  that  the  evidence  in  favor  of  the  authenticity 
of  our  Scriptures  is  increasing.  And  this,  if  it  be  true,  is  certainly 
a  very  interesting  fact.  As  there  is  nothing  in  the  Bible  to  flatter 
the  pride  of  man,  or  inflate  his  vanity,  or  gratify  his  sensual  indul- 
gence, or  give  him  security  in  a  course  of  sin,  but  all  its  demands 
are  of  a  directly  opposite  tendency,  it  need  not  surprise  us  that, 
with  mankind  generally,  the  Bible  is  a  dreaded  and  a  hated  book. 
For  almost  two  thousand  years,  it  has  been  a  prime  object  with 
wicked  men,  by  sneers  and  reproaches,  by  exciting  sus^Dicions  and 
creating  doubts,  if  possible,  to  get  rid  of  the  Bible.  And  yet,  all 
this  while  it  has  been  spread  fearlessly  open  before  the  world,  invit- 
ing scrutiny,  inviting  research ;  and  I  but  speak  the  sentiment  of 
the  best  scholars  of  the  age  when  I  say,  that  the  evidences  of  its 
authenticity,  so  far  from  being  invalidated,  have  been  constantly 
gaining  strength.  The  more  the  state,  the  history,  the  customs, 
arts,  and  languages  of  the  ancient  world  are  studied;  the  more  the 
ancient  manuscripts,  versions,  and  quotations  are  examined;  the 
more  the  monuments  and  inscriptions  of  remote  antiquity  are 
brought  to  light;  the  more  evident  it  becomes  that  the  several 
books  of  Scripture  have  been  ascribed  to  the  right  authors,  and 
that  they  must  have  been  written  in  the  places,  and  at  the  remote 
periods,  which  have  been  commonly  supposed.  Difficulties  which 
once  embarrassed  the  subject  have  been  removed,  objections  have 
been  obviated,  and  the  force  of  the  argument  in  support  of  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  Scriptures  is  continually  gaining  strength. 


CONVERSATION  lY. 

IS  THE  BIBLE  TRUE  ?— A  vital  question.— Historically  considered.— Its  circulation 
among  coternporaries. — Veracity  umiuestioned. — Character  of  statements  made. — 
Improbability  of  acceptance  if  false. —  Evidence  of  profane  history. — Propriety  of  rely- 
ing on  apostolic  testimony. — Their  motives  for  truth. — Danger  of  proclaiming  it. — 
Persecutions. — The  witness  of  the  world  in  the  present  day. — Customs,  rites  and  cer- 
emonies.— Tiieir  origin. — Tiie  Christian's  faith. — The  infidel's  argument. — Belief  iu 
Scriptural  records  and  authenticity  increasing. 

Son. — A  vital  question  in  regard  to  the  Bible  is  that  relating  to 
its  tt'uth.  Are  its  statements  reliable  ?  Can  they  be  shown  to  be 
true  ?     Excuse  me  if  I  ask  for  information  on  this  point. 

Father. — We  have  a  strong  presumption  as  to  the  truth  of  Scrip- 
ture growing  out  of  the  fact  last  considered,  viz.  :  their  authentic- 
ity. Authentic  histories,  written  and  published  under  the  same 
circumstances  with  our  Scrijitures,  may  in  general  be  presvnned  to 
contain  the  truth  ;  because,  being  circulated  among  cotemporaries 
Avho  are  well  acquainted  with  the  facts,  if  the  statements  are  not 
true,  they  can  be  easily  confuted,  and  certainly  will  not  be  received. 
Moses  published  among  his  cotemporaries  an  account  of  the  deliv- 
erance of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  and  of  their  journeyings,  their 
rebellions,  and  corrections  in  the  wilderness.  Would  he  have  dared, 
under  these  circumstances,  to  publish  statements  which  were  not 
true,  and  which,  he  might  be  sure,  thousands  of  voices  would  in- 
stantly be  raised  to  contradict  ?  Or  if  Moses  had  had  the  effront- 
ery to  publish  falsehoods  among  his  cotemporaries,  would  they  have 
had  the  stupidity  to  receive  them  ? 

So  the  writers  of  the  Gospels  published,  among  their  cotempora- 
ries, friends  and  enemies,  distinct  accounts  of  the  doctrines,  the 
works,  the  sufferings,  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus.  Would 
they  have  published,  under  such  circumstances,  what  they  knew 
was  not  true ;  what  every  reader  would  say,  at  once,  was  not  true ; 
and  what  their  enemies,  the  Jews,  would  instantly  seize  upon  and 
turn  to  the  ruin  of  their  cause  ?  Or  if  they  could  have  been  so 
infatuated    as   to   make   such    publications,   would    those    around 


40  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

them  have  been  so  infatuated  as  to  receive,  read,  and  believe  their 
books  ? 

Moses  "often  appeals  to  the  senses  of  those  for  whom  he  wrote. 
"  Your  eyes  have  seen  all  the  great  acts  of  the  Lord  which  he  did  " 
(Deut.  xi.  7).  The  writers  of  the  New  Testament  do  the  same. 
Now  admitting,— what  has  been  proved, — the  authenticity  of  these 
writings,  could  they  possibly  have  been  received,  if  they  had  not 
been  true  ?  Would  not  those,  into  whose  hands  the  writings  first 
came,  have  known  whether  their  eyes  had  seen  the  things  de- 
scribed? And  if  they  had  not  seen  them,  would  they  have  received 
and  believed  the  books  ? 

There  is  another  difficulty  in  the  way  of  the  reception  of  these 
books  on  any  other  supposition  than  that  of  their  containing  incon- 
testable truth.  I  refer  to  the  character  of  the  statements,  the  rep- 
resentations, which  are  there  made.  These  are,  many  of  them,  so 
mortifying  to  human  pride,  so  offensive  and  humiliating  to  those 
to  whom  they  were  addressed,  that  they  never  would  have  been 
propagated  or  received,  if  they  had  not  been  known  to  be  true. 
What  Israelite  would  ever  have  recorded  such  stories  as  those  of 
Abraham's  equivocation,  Jacob's  intrigue,  Judah's  incest,  Aaron's 
calf,  and  David's  adultery,  had  he  not  been  constrained  to  it  by  the 
known  fact  that  these  things  were  true  ?  Or,  if  any  one  had  been 
mad  enough  to  publish  untruths  of  this  nature  in  the  presence  of 
cotemporaneous  witnesses,  would  they  not  have  been  instantly  re- 
jected, and  the  authors  of  them  been  contemned  and  scorned  ?  How 
often  are  the  Israelites  reproved,  reproached,  denounced  and  con- 
demned in  different  parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  for  their  wicked- 
ness ?  Now  would  these  same  Israelites  have  received  this  Old 
Testament,  and  clung  to  it  even  unto  death,  had  they  not  been 
fully  convinced  that  it  was  true  ? 

S. — Are  any  of  the  facts  of  the  sacred  history  confirmed  by  the 
testimony  of  Jews  and  heathens  ? 

F. — Yes,  many  of  them.  Josephus,  who  was  a  Jew,  and  a  cotem- 
porary  with  the  Apostles,  thus  speaks  of  our  Savior :  "  About  this 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  41 

time  lived  Jesus,  a  wise  man,  if  it  be  lawful  to  call  him  a  man,  for 
he  performed  marvelous  things.  He  was  an  instructor  of  such  as 
received  the  truth  with  pleasure.  He  made,  many  converts  both 
among  the  Jews  and  Greeks.  He  was,"  by  profession,  "  the  Christ. 
And  when  Pilate,  on  the  accusation  of  the  principal  men  among 
us,  condemned  him  to  the  cross,  those  who  before  entertained  a  re- 
spect for  him  continued  still  to  do  so  ;  for  he  appeared  to  them  alive 
again  on  the  third  day ;  the  divine  prophets  having  declared  these 
and  many  other  wonderful  things  concerning  him.  The  sect  of 
Christians,  so  named  from  him,  subsists  to  this  very  time."* 

S. — Has  not  this  passage  from  Josephus  been  disputed? 

F. — It  has ;  though  probably  without  sufficient  reason.  But  in 
other  passages,  which  have  never  been  disputed,  Josephus  speaks  of 
the  character  and  labors  of  John  the  Baptist ;  of  his  being  put  to 
death  by  Herod ;  of  the  martyrdom  of  the  Apostle  James ;  and  of 
the  miseries  which  came  upon  the  Jewish  nation  on  this  account. 
"  These  things  happened  unto  them  by  the  way  of  revenging  the 
death  of  James  the  Just,  the  brother  of  Jesus  whom  they  call 
Christ ;  for  the  Jews  slew  him,  though  a  very  just  man."f 

About  the  year  of  our  Lord  QQ.,  commenced  the  terrible  persecu- 
tion of  the  Christians  at  Rome  under  Nero.  This  monster  of  wick- 
edness, having  set  fire  to  Rome  just  for  the  sake  of  seeing  it  burn, 
and  wishing  to  avert  the  indignation  of  the  people  on  that  account, 
falsely  charged  the  conflagration  to  the  Christians,  and  commenced 
putting  them  to  death  without  measure  or  mercy.  Tacitus,  a  co- 
temporary  historian,  and  a  heathen,  thus  speaks  of  the  Christians : 
"  Christ,  the  founder  of  this  sect,  was  executed  in  the  reign  of  Tibe- 
rius, by  the  procurator,  Pontius  Pilate.  The  pernicious  superstition, 
repressed  for  a  time,  burst  forth  again,  not  only  in  Judea,  the 
birth-place  of  the  evil,  but  at  Rome  also,  where  everything  atro- 
cious and  base  centers  and  is  in  repute."  In  this  passage,  Tacitus 
bears  witness  to  the  fact,  that  Jesus  lived  in  Judea  at  the  very  time 

*Antiq.,  Book  18,  chap.  3. 

tAntiq.,  Book  18,  chap.  5,  and  Book  20,  chap.  9. 


42  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

stated  by  the  evangelists ;  that  he  was  put  to  death  under  Pontius 
Pilate  ;  and  that,  after  his  death,  his  followers  became  exceedingly- 
numerous,  not  only  in  Judea,  but  at  Rome.  Further  on  in  the  same 
passage,  he  speaks  of  "  a  vast  multitude  of  Christians  "  as  having 
been  cruelly  tortured  and  put  to  death  by  Nero. 

About  forty  years  after  this,  there  was  a  persecution  under  the 
Emperor  Trajan.  Pliny  was  at  this  time  governor  of  Bythinia  ; 
and  such  multitudes  of  Christians  were  brought  before  him  for  trial 
and  punishment  that  he  knew  not  what  to  do  with  them,  and  wrote 
to  the  emperor  for  advice.  His  letter  is  too  long  to  be  quoted  here ; 
but  in  it  he  describes  the  religion  of  the  Christians,  their  meetings, 
their  sacraments,  their  mode  of  worship,  and  bears  testimony  to  their 
holy  and  blameless  lives.  He  speaks  of  having  put  two  Christian 
females  to  the  torture,  but  "nothing,"  says  he,  "could  1  collect 
from  them,  except  a  depraved  and  excessive  superstition."  Here, 
you  see  again,  is  the  Christian  religion,  flourishing  in  great  strength, 
and  vast  multitudes  drawn  to  the  profession  of  it,  at  the  very  com- 
mencement of  the  second  century,  or  within  seventy  years  after 
the  death  of  Christ. 

It  was  only  about  sixty  years  after  this,  that  Celsus  wrote  his 
work  against  Christianity — the  first  that  was  ever  written  of  which 
we  have  any  knowledge — in  which,  as  was  stated  in  our  last  con- 
versation, he  admits  the  authenticity  of  the  Christian  Scriptures, 
and  most  of  the  facts  which  they  inculcate,  and  undertakes  to  re- 
fute the  Christians  out  of  their  own  books. 

S. — Is  it  proper  to  rely  on  the  testimony  of  the  Apostles  and 
evangelists,  as  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel  history  ? 

F. — Why  not  ?  They  certainly  Avere  competent  and  reliable  wit- 
nesses,— men  living  at  the  time  and  on  the  ground, — eye  and  ear 
witnesses  of  the  things  which  they  relate.  So  far  as  we  can  judge, 
they  were  men  of  good  moral  character ;  and  so  far  from  having 
any  motive  of  worldly  interest  to  induce  them  to  fabricate  a  decep- 
tion, and  pass  it  off  upon  the  world,  every  consideration  of  interest 
was  impelling  them  the  other  way.     The  price  of  publishing  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  43 

gospel  message  was,  to  them,  the  loss  of  all  things ;  and  they  had 
every  reason  to  expect  beforehand  that  it  would  be  so.  It  should 
be  further  considered  that  the  story  of  these  witnesses,  if  not  true, 
admitted  of  a  ready  and  easy  contradiction.  If,  for  example,  Christ 
did  not  feed  thousands  of  peoj)le  with  a  few  loaves  and  fishes ;  if 
he  did  not  heal  the  sick,  and  raise  the  dead ;  if  he  was  not  tried, 
condemned,  crucified,  and  buried  ;  and  if  he  did  not  rise  again  the 
third  day ;  how  easy  to  have  effectually  refuted  these  stories,  when 
they  were  first  published !  Yet  they  Avere  not  refuted.  They 
could  not  be.  So  far  from  this,  they  received  confirmation  from 
a  thousand  sources.  And  to  crown  the  whole,  the  original  wit- 
nesses, in  this  most  important  case,  lived  and  acted  as  though  their 
testimony  was  true.  They  certainly  knew  whether  it  Avas  true,  or 
not ;  and  they  proclaimed  aloud,  and  everywhere, — in  their  future 
lives,  in  their  toils  and  perils,  in  tlieir  sacrifices  and  sufferings,  and 
under  the  bloody  hand  of  the  executioner, — that  it  was  true.  They 
sealed  their  testimony,  in  most  cases,  with  their  blood.  I  affirm, 
therefore,  and  I  feel  authorized  to  do  so  with  the  utmost  confidence, 
that  the  testimony  of  the  Apostles  and  evangelists,  as  to  the  truth 
of  the  gospel  history,  is  a  valid  testimony.  It  is  such  as  Ave  confide 
in,  and  act  upon,  in  the  most  important  concerns  of  life.  It  is 
sufficient  to  establish  truth,  and  can  never  be  set  aside  but  by 
adopting  principles  Avhich  Avould  render  it  impossible  to  prove  any- 
thing by  testimony. 

S. — In  all  our  inquiries,  it  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  appeal  to 
facts.  I  Avould  ask,  therefore,  are  there  any  facts  in  the  Avorld 
around  us  Avhich  involve  the  truth  of  parts  of  the  sacred  history  ? 

F. — Yes,  many  such.  Take,  for  example,  the  earlj^  and  almost 
universal  division  of  time  into  Aveeks.  There  are  natural  reasons 
why  time  should  be  divided  into  moons  or  months,  and  into  years. 
But  there  are  no  natural  reasons  Avhy  it  should  be  divided  into 
Aveeks  of  scA^en  days;  and  no  rational  account  can  be  giA^en  of  this 
ancient  and  almost  universal  mode  of  dividing  time,  if  Ave  reject 
that  AA^hich  is  given  b}^  Moses. 


44  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

It  is  a  fact  that  numerous  languages  are  spoken  in  the  world ; 
and  though  most  of  these  are  cognate  dialects,  which  originated 
one  from  another,  yet  there  are  some  radically  and  originally  differ- 
ent languages.  How  came  these  different  languages  ?  How  came 
the  human  race,  which  is  manifestly  one  race,  to  be  sejDarated  and 
sundered  one  from  another  in  this  way  ?  Moses  explains  this  matter 
to  us ;  but  reject  his  explanations  and  who  can  give  us  any  other  ? 

A  most  singular  mode  of  propitiating  and  worshiping  the  Deity 
prevailed  all  over  the  ancient  world,  and  still  prevails  in  some  parts 
of  the  earth ;  I  mean  that  of  bloody  sacrifices.  The  mere  light  of 
nature  and  reason  would  never  have  led  to  this  mode  of  worship. 
What  natural  connection  is  there  between  the  killing  of  an  inno- 
cent lamb  or  dove,  and  the  acceptable  worship  of  the  Most  High  ? 
How  then  are  we  to  account  for  this  early  and  for  long  ages  uni- 
versal mode  of  divine  worship?  The  Scriptures  enable  us  to  answer 
this  question ;  but  exclude  the  light  which  they  shed  upon  it,  and 
I  defy  any  person  to  make  out  even  a  plausible  answer. 

A  most  singular  rite  prevailed  among  several  ancient  nations, 
and  still  prevails  not  only  among  the  Jews,  but  in  some  heathen 
tribes  ;  I  mean  that  of  circumcision.  No  one  can  doubt  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  rite  ;  and  yet  I  think  any  one  would  be  exceedingly 
puzzled  to  account  for  its  origin,  after  he  had  set  aside  the  history 
given  of  it  by  Moses. 

I  might  go  on  to  speak  in  the  same  way  of  the  institution  of  the 
Sabbath,  of  the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  of  the 
existence  of  the  Jews  as  a  distinct  people,  and  of  the  very  existence 
of  the  Christian  religion.  These  are  dl\  facts — plain  matters  of  fact 
existing  before  our  eyes;  and  every  reflecting,  philosophical  man 
should  be  able  to  give  some  rational  account  of  them.  How  came 
one  day  in  seven  to  be  regarded  as  a  sacred  day,  not  only  by  Jews 
and  Christians,  but  by  most  of  the  civilized  nations  of  antiquity  ? 
How  originated  the  rites  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper  ?  The 
Jews  still  exist,  a  singular,  separate,  peculiar  -people.  How,  when, 
where    did  they  originate  ?     And  who  gave   them   their  peculiar 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  46 

religious  notions  and  rites  ?  These  Christians,  too, — which  can  be 
proved  to  have  existed,  and  to  have  spread  themselves  over  the  face 
of  the  earth  for  more  than  eighteen  hundred  years, — where  did 
they  come  from?  Who  was  their  founder?  Whence  did  they 
derive  the  peculiarities  of  their  religion  and  worship  ?  These  are 
all  of  them  fair  questions — questions  arising  from  known  and  pal- 
pable facts  ;  and  what  answers  shall  be  given  to  them  ?  With  the 
Bible  in  our  hands,  it  is  easy  to  give  satisfactory  answers.  But 
throw  this  away,  and  what  answer  that  shall  be  so  much  as  plausi- 
ble can  possibly  be  framed  ? 

S. — Are  not  several  of  these  Jewish  and  Christian  institutions  of 
a  commemorative  character? 

F. — Yes,  and  tliis  makes  the  argument  the  stronger.  For  in- 
stance, the  Passover  was  instituted  to  commemorate  the  deliverance 
of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt.  Now  it  is  certain  that  no  impostor 
of  a  later  generation  could  have  imposed  this  institution  on  the 
Israelites.  Nor  would  they  have  received  it  at  the  hand  of  Moses, 
if  the  facts  which  it  commemorated  had  never  taken  place.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  designed  to  commemo- 
rate the  giving  of  the  law ;  of  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  commemora- 
tive of  the  Israelites'  dwelling  in  tents ;  of  the  feast  of  Purim,  which 
commemorated  their  deliverance  from  Haman  ;  and  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  which  now  commemorates  the  death  of  Christ.  How  could 
this  ordinance  of  the  supper  ever  have  been  instituted,  received 
and  observed,  if  that  event  had  not  taken  place  which  it  was  de- 
signed to  commemorate, — in  other  words,  if  Christ  had  not  suffered 
and  died  according  to  the  Scriptures  ?  We  have  an  annual  festival 
on  the  fourth  of  July,  to  commemorate  the  declaration  of  American 
independence.  Does  any  one  suppose  that  this  festival  would  ever 
have  been  got  up,  and  brought  into  general  notice  and  observance, 
if  American  independence  had  never  been  declared?  No  more 
could  any  of  the  commemorative  institutions  of  the  Bible  have  been 
got  up  and  established,  if  the  events  commemorated  by  them  had 
not  occurred. 


46  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Can  any  argument  be  drawn,  on  the  question  before  us,  from 
the  religious  feelings  and  exercises  of  Christians  f 

F. — Yes ;  an  argument  reaching  not  only  to  the  facts  of  revela- 
tion, but  to  its  doctrines — an  argument  of  more  weight  with  sincere, 
unlettered  Christians  than  any  other.  Such  an  one  may  not  have 
read  books  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity.  He  may  not  have 
acquainted  himself  with  the  historical  arguments  in  its  favor  at  all. 
Still  he  has  no  doubts  as  to  the  truth  of  the  Bible ;  and  when  you 
inquire  as  to  the  grounds  of  his  confidence,  he  will  say  :  "  I  know 
the  Bible  to  be  true,  because  I  feel  it  to  be  true.  I  am  sure  of  the 
truth  of  it,  because  it  accords  so  exactly  with  my  own  experience." 
For  example,  the  Scriptures  represent  the  natural  heart  of  man  as 
corrupt  and  sinful.  The  Christian  knows  from  his  own  experience 
that  this  is  true.  The  Scriptures  speak  of  a  great  moral  change  as 
necessary  in  order  to  the  possession  of  true  religion.  The  Christian 
feels  and  hopes  that  he  has  experienced  this  change.  The  Script- 
ures represent  the  Christian  life  on  earth  as  one  of  conflict  and 
warfare, — "  the  flesh  lusting  against  the  spirit,  and  the  spirit 
against  the  flesh."  The  Christian  is  conscious  of  this  warfare  in 
his  own  soul.  The  Scriptures  describe,  in  various  ways,  the  pecul- 
iar views  and  exercises  of  those  who  have  been  born  of  God.  The 
Christian  perceives  that  these  answer  to  his  own.  And  thus,  as 
our  Savior  expresses  it,  "  he  has  the  witness  in  himself."  He  can- 
not doubt  the  truth  of  the  Bible.  When  such  an  one  says,  "I 
know  the  Bible  to  be  true,  because  I  feel  it  to  be  true,"  he  urges  a 
sound  argument.     He  reasons  logically  and  well. 

iS. — And  yet  would  such  an  argument  be  likely  to  satisfy  the 
infidel  ? 

F. — Perhaps  not.  Still,  I  see  not  why  it  should  not  satisfy  him. 
For  what  has  he  to  urge  against  it  ?  He  can  only  say  to  the  Chris- 
tian, "My  feelings  are  not  like  yours.  I  have  no  such  experience." 
Alas  !  my  friend,  we  know  you  have  not.  The  Bible  itself  asserts 
that  you  have  not ;  so  that  in  what  you  say  you  rather  verify  than 
contradict  the  representations  of  Scripture.     But  what  does  your 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  47 

lack  of  Christian  experience  prove  ?  Does  it  prove  that  the  experi- 
ence of  Christians,  and  the  conscious  agreement  of  their  experience 
with  the  representations  of  Scripture,  is  not  a  reality  ?  By  no 
means.  As  well  might  the  blind  man  deny  the  existence  of  light, 
because  he  does  not  see  it,  or  the  deaf  mute  that  there  is  any  such 
thing  as  sound, because  he  does  not  hear  it,  as  you  deny  the  reality 
of  Christian  experience  because  yow  have  never  felt  it — have  never 
"tasted  and  seen  that  the  Lord  is  good."  Your  Christian  neighbor 
is  an  intelligent,  moral,  credible  man.  You  believe  him  to  be  a 
pious  man.  He  tells  you  that  his  own  feelings,  his  experience,  ac- 
cords so  entirely  with  the  representations  of  Scripture,  that  he 
knows  the  latter  must  be  true.  Now  why  will  you  not  believe 
him  ?  You  would  take  his  word  on  any  other  subject ;  why  not  on 
this  ? 

S. — In  our  last  conversation,  you  spoke  of  the  constantly  increas- 
ing evidence  in  favor  of  the  authenticity  of  our  sacred  writings. 
Can  the  same  fact  be  urged  in  support  of  their  truth  ? 

F. — Yes,  it  may  well  be  said  of  the  arguments  for  the  truth  of 
Scripture,  that  they  are  constantly  increasing  both  in  numbers  and 
in  strength.  It  has  been  remarked,  that  no  system  ever  laid  itself 
more  completely  open  to  detection,  if  it  contained  errors,  than 
Christianity.  "  No  book  ever  gave  so  many  clues  to  discovery,  if  it 
tell  untruths,  as  the  sacred  volume."  And  yet  its  leaves  were 
thrown  fearlessly  open,  from  two  to  three  thousand  years  ago,  to 
the  investigation  of  philosophers  and  critics,  to  the  scrutiny  of 
friends  and  foes.  Its  leaves  have  lain  unfolded  from  that  time  to 
the  present,  inviting  discussion,  inviting  research,  saying  virtually, 
like  its  great  Author,  "  Testify  against  me,  if  you  can."  And  it 
has  passed  the  ordeal.  It  has  stood  the  test.  Its  evidences,  so  far 
from  being  weakened  through  the  lapse  of  time,  are  continually 
gaining  strength.  The  researches  of  the  antiquary,  the  investiga- 
tions of  modern  science,  the  accidental  discoveries  which  from  time 
to  time  are  made,  the  unceasing  inquiries  of  restless,  inquisitive 
man,  instead  of  fulfilling  the  predictions  of  the  infidel,  and  refuting 


48  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  evidence  for  the  truth  of  Scripture,  all  tend,  manifestly,  to  con- 
firm and  establish  it.  Passages  of  Scripture  once  dark  have  been 
brought  into  light ;  former  objections  have  been  obviated ;  seeming 
discrepancies  have  been  reconciled.  What  were  regarded  as  diffi- 
culties two  hundred  years  ago,  are  found  such  no  longer.  The 
very  efforts  of  infidels  have  been  made  to  recoil  upon  their  own 
heads.  They  have  been  over-ruled  for  the  establishment  and  ad- 
vancement of  the  gospel.  In  proof  of  these  statements,  I  need  only 
refer  to  the  recent  confirmations  of  Scripture  found  in  the  mounds 
of  Assyria,  the  catacombs  of  Egypt,  and  in  the  discoveries  of  inves- 
tigators in  the  Holy  Land.  In  short,  the  time  has  come  when,  if 
Christians  have  had  any  fears  as  to  the  truth  of  their  religion,  they 
should  indulge  them  no  longer.  They  may  rest  perfectly  assured 
that  they  are  without  foundation.  Christianity  may  yet  be  as- 
sailed; but  it  will  come  out  of  every  new  trial,  as  it  has  out  of 
every  previous  one,  strengthened  in  its  evidences,  and  not  weak- 
ened ;  victorious,  and  not  vanquished. 


CONVERSATION  Y. 

ARE  THE  SCRIPTURES  FROM  GOD  ?— Bible  assertions.— Miracles.— Nature  of 
miracles. — Unknown  natural  laws. — Special  need  of  miracles. — Tiieir  intent  and  pur- 
pose.— Divine  autliority  supported  by  prophecy. — The  value  of  the  authority. — The 
nature  of  prophecy. — Conjecture  versus  prophecy.— Bible  said  to  have  all  been  written 
since  the  events  transpired. — Evidence  against  such  a  statement. — luterual  proofs  of 
inspiration. — The  Bible  God's  book. 

Son. — I  am  aware,  if  the  Bible  is  true,  that  it  must  be  from  God ; 
for  it  directly  asserts  as  much  as  this.  Moses  went  to  Pharaoh,  and 
went  to  the  Israelites,  not  in  his  own  name,  but  in  the  name  of 
God.  He  prefiiced  all  his  messages  with  a  Thus  saith  the  Lord. 
The  same  did  the  inspired  prophets.  The  same  did  the  Apostles. 
The  same  did  our  Savior  himself.  "  The  words  which  I  speak  unto 
you  are  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent  me.'"  If  the  Bible  is  true,  then 
these  and  a  thousand  other  like  assertions  are  true.  They  are  as 
true  as  any  other  part  of  the  Bible.  Still,  I  should  like  to  discuss 
the  Divine  authority  of  Scripture  with  you  in  a  more  general  waj', 
and  to  hear  from  you  other  arguments. 

Father. — Let  us  proceed  then,  at  once,  to  the  subject  of  miracles. 
A  miracle  is  something  more  than  a  strange  thing,  or  to  us  an  un- 
accountable thing.  It  is  not  certain  that  an  event  is  miraculous, 
because  it  is  not  in  accordance  with  any  law  of  nature  with  which 
we  are  acquainted.  There  may  be  natural  laws  of  which,  at  pres- 
ent, we  have  no  knowledge,  with  some  one  or  more  of  which  the 
seeming  miracle  may  be  at  an  agreement.  But  suppose  we  see 
some  knou'71  law  of  nature  supervened,  and  an  event  taking  place  in 
direct  contradiction  to  it.  It  is  not  merely  above  and  beyond  what 
we  know  of  nature,  but  in  direct  contravention  of  what  we  know. 
Such  an  event  is  a  proper  miracle,  knoivn  to  be  such  ;  and  from  the 
nature  of  the  case,  it  is,  and  must  be,  from  God.  It  involves  a  di- 
rect intervention  of  that  Omnipotence  by  which  the  laws  of  nature 
were  established,  and  which  alone  is  able  to  suspend  them. 

S. — But  are   we   sufficiently   acquainted   with  nature's  laws  to 

4 


50  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

know  when  they  are  supervened,  and  thus  to  decide,  in  regard  to  a 
given  event,  whether  it  be  a  miracle  or  not  ? 

F. — To  this  I  reply  that,  with  all  our  short-sightedness  and  igno- 
rance, we  do  know  something  in  regard  to  the  powers  and  laws  of 
nature.  We  have,  or  may  have,  not  presumption  or  conjecture, 
but  knowledge  here  ;  else  all  philosophy  is  delusive,  and  every  at- 
tempt at  philosophical  inquiry  must  be  fruitless.  But  if  we  may 
know,  to  some  extent,  what  the  laws  of  nature  are,  then  we  may 
know  when  they  are  suspended  or  contravened,  and  may  be  able  to 
distinguish  a  proper  miracle  from  every  other  kind  of  event. 

Now  the  Bible  contains  accounts  of  many  such  miracles — real 
miracles — knoivn  to  be  such — extending  through  a  long  succession 
of  years,  from  the  time  of  Moses  to  the  end  of  the  Apostolic 
age.  And  these  accounts  are  true,  if  the  Bible  is  true.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  about  them,  unless  we  reject  the  truth  of  the  sacred 
word. 

>S'. — But  if  the  miracles  of  Scripture  actually  occurred, — as  we 
must  suppose  they  did,  unless  we  reject  the  Bible, — then  wh^  did 
they  occur?     What  was  the  leading  object  or  intent  to  them  ? 

F. — The  more  immediate  ends  to  be  answered  by  miracles  may 
have  been  various.  Not  a  few  of  them  were  performed  out  of  com- 
passion for  the  sick,  the  afflicted,  the  distressed.  Others  were  in- 
flicted in  righteous  judgment  upon  the  wicked.  Others  still  were 
intended  for  the  trial  of  those  more  immediately  concerned.  They 
were  resorted  to  as  a  means  of  forming  and  developing  character. 
But  all  these  were  no  more  than  subordinate  purposes;  they  were 
not  the  grand  leading  object  in  view.  This  must  have  been  some- 
thing vastly  higher,  and  of  more  general  interest  to  the  world. 

The  great  end  of  miracles,  obviously,  was  to  attest  the  Divine  mis- 
sion of  those  ivho  performed  them,  and  the  Divine  authority  of  the 
messages  which  they  were  sent  to  deliver.  In  frequent  instances,  this 
object  is  brought  out  prominently  in  the  record ;  in  others,  it  evi- 
dently lies  at  the  foundation,  and  constitutes  the  leading,  prompt- 
ing  motive   for   the    exertion  of  miraculous   power.     Thus  when 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  51 


Moses  went  with  a  message  from  God  to  Pharaoh,  he  demanded,  as 
we  might  have  presumed  he  woukl,  "  "Who  is  the  Lord  that  I  should 
obey  his  voice?  I  know  not  the  Lord,  neither  will  I  let  Israel  go." 
And  now  God  proceeds,  by  a  series  of  stupendous  but  crushing 
miracles,  to  shew  Pharaoh  who  he  is,  and  to  convince  liim  that,  in 
the  presence  of  the  God  of  Israel,  he  is  himself  but  a  worm.  By 
these  repeated  miracles,  God  attested  the  Divine  commission  of 
Moses  and  Aaron,  sanctioned  their  messages  as  coming  from  him- 
self, and  at  length  constrained  the  unwilling  monarch  to  yield  to 
the  demands,  which,  at  first,  he  had  so  proudly  resisted.  So  when 
the  murmuring  Israelites  in  the  desert  called  in  question  (as  they 
often  did)  the  Divine  commission  of  their  appointed  leaders,  and 
the  Divine  authority  of  their  communications,  miracles  were  in- 
stantly wrought  to  attest  and  sanction  both.  The  dry  rock  is 
smitten,  and  the  water  gushes  out.  Aaron's  rod  flourisheth,  while 
the  others  are  dried  up.  The  earth  opens  under  the  feet  of  the 
rebels,  and  they  go  down  alive  into  the  pit.  In  the  days  of  Elijah, 
the  people  were  halting  between  two  opinions,  not  knowing  whom 
to  recognize  as  true  prophets,  or  whether  to  worship  God  or  Baal ; 
and  to  satisfy  them,  a  notable  miracle  is  wrought.  Fire  comes 
down  visibly  from  heaven,  consumes  the  sacrifice  and  the  wood, 
and  licks  up  the  very  water  in  the  surrounding  trenches. 

And  not  to  multiply  instances  from  the  Old  Testament,  our  Sav- 
ior continually  appealed  to  his  miracles  in  proof  of  his  Messiahship, 
and  in  attestation  of  the  Divine  authority  of  his  words.  "The 
works  which  my  Father  hath  given  me  to  do,  the  same  bear  witness 
of  me  that  the  Father  hath  sent  me."  "  If  I  do  not  the  works  of 
my  Father,  believe  me  not ;  but  if  I  do,  though  you  believe  not  me, 
believe  the  works,  that  ye  may  know  that  the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I 
in  him."  The  grand  object  of  the  Apostles'  miracles  was  precisely 
the  same.  "  They  went  forth  and  preached  everywhere,  the  Lord 
working  with  them,  and  confirming  the  word  by  sifjns  following T 
When  the  apostleship  of  Paul  was  called  in  question,  in  vindica- 
tion of  it  he  appealed  at  once  to  his  miracles,  "  Truly  the  signs  of 


62  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

an  Apostle  were  wrought  among  you,  in  all  patience,  in  signs,  and 
wonders, and  mighty  deeds' 

In  short,  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  leading  design  and  ob- 
ject of  the  miracles  of  the  Bible.  They  were  designed,  as  I  said,  to 
attest  the  Divine  mission  of  the  inspired  teachers,  and  the  Divine 
authority  of  their  communications,  and  thus  to  establish  the  faith, 
not  only  of  those  who  heard  them,  but  of  all  who  should  become 
acquainted  with  their  w^ords  and  works. 

S. — You  regard,  then,  the  argument  from  miracles  as  a  sound 
one,  in  support  of  the  Divine  authority  of  our  sacred  books  ? 

F. — I  do  ;  and  so  must  every  consistent  follower  of  Christ.  It  is 
certain  that  he  often  employed  this  argument,  and  urged  it  home 
upon  the  consciences  of  his  hearers.  Hence  we  cannot  call  in  ques- 
tion the  soundness  of  it,  without  impeaching  the  character  of  our 
Lord. 

S. — The  argument  from  prophecy  is  continually  urged  in  support 
of  the  Divine  authority  of  our  Scriptures.  Do  you  regard  this 
argument  also  as  a  sound  one  ? 

F. — I  do.  To  look  into  the  remote  future,  and  disclose  distant, 
contingent  events, — those  depending,  not  upon  the  ascertained  laws 
and  processes  of  nature,  but  upon  the  free  actions  of  men, — this  is 
the  prerogative  of  God  alone.  No  other  being  in  the  universe  can 
do  it.  In  the  fifth  chapter  of  the  Revelation,  a  vast  map  of  the 
future  is  exhibited,  under  the  symbol  of  a  sealed  roll  or  book  ;  and 
"  No  creature  in  heaven  nor  in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth,  was 
able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon."  We  are  here 
taught  that,  to  all  created  minds,  the  whole  contingent  future  is  a 
sealed  book.  And  a  sealed  book  it  must  remain,  except  so  far  as 
God  is  pleased  to  unseal  and  open  it.  We  conclude,  therefore, 
that  every  proper  prediction  is  a  revelation  from  God.  From  the 
nature  of  the  case,  it  must  be  so.  Creatures  may  presume,  may 
conjecture,  may  make  calculations ;  but  God  alone  can  with  cer- 
tainty predict.  The  calculations  of  creatures  often  disappoint 
them  ;  but  God's  predictions  never.     They  are  sure  to  go  into  effect, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  53 

and  in  the  precise  way  and  manner  which  he  has  indicated.  The 
only  question  then  is,  does  the  Bible  contain  real  predictions  ? 
And  what  fair-minded  reader  of  the  Bible  can  entertain  a  doubt  on 
this  point?  Here  is  a  continued  series  of  predictions,  reaching 
from  Genesis  to  the  Revelation,  many  of  which  have  been  most 
remarkal)ly  fulfilled, — so  remarkably,  in  some  instances,  as  to  con- 
strain the  unbeliever, — in  opposition  to  all  historical  evidence, — to 
afhrm  that  the  alleged  predictions  must  have  been  written  subse- 
quent to  the  events  foretold ;  that  is,  to  be  history,  and  not  proph- 
ecy. Witness  the  predictions  of  Isaiah,  as  to  the  capture  of  Babylon, 
and  the  return  of  the  Jews ;  and  Daniel's  vision  of  the  four  beasts ; 
and  our  Savior's  prediction  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  the 
declarations  of  all  the  prophets,  as  to  the  present  scattered  and 
separate  condition  of  the  Jewish  people.  But  if  the  Bible  contains 
real  predictions,  then  certainly  it  is,  thus  far,  a  revelation  from 
God. 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  of  the  internal  evidences  of  the  Divine 
authorship  of  the  Bible — those  drawn  from  the  book  itself? 

F. — These  are  numerous  and  highly  important, — such  as  the 
nature  and  excellence  of  its  doctrines ;  the  purity  and  elevation  of 
its  moral  code ;  its  inexhaustible  fullness  ;  the  harmony  of  its  sev- 
eral parts ;  and  its  exact  adaptation  to  our  fallen  condition  and 
wants ; — all  conspiring  to  set  it  before  us  as  the  book  of  God.  Un- 
aided men  could  no  more  have  written  the  Bible  than  they  could 
have  created  the  world.  Its  doctrines  surpass  all  human  foresight 
and  wisdom.  Its  aims  transcend  all  human  thought.  The  charac- 
ter of  Christ,  as  exhibited  in  the  Bible,  is  such  as  no  mere  man 
ever  formed  or  conceived ;  such  as  no  pen  but  that  of  inspiration 
could  have  sketched.  Then  there  is  a  power  attending  the  promul- 
gation of  religious  truths,  and  the  good  effects  which  they  have 
produced,  and  are  still  producing  in  the  world.  The  Scriptures 
alone  have  proved  themselves  to  be  "  quick  and  powerful,  sharper 
than  a  two-edged  sword  ;  mighty,  through  God,  to  the  pulling 
down  of  strongholds;"  and  "  able  to  make  man  wise  unto  salvation." 


54  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


I  urge  but  another  argument  in  favor  of  the  Divine  authority  of 
the  Bible, — the  same  which  Avas  urged  in  support  of  its  truth, — 
that  which  the  Christian  finds  in  his  own  souL  "  If  any  man," 
saith  Christ,  "will  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine, 
whether  it  he  of  G-od.""  True  Christians  have  fulfilled  the  condition 
here  proposed,  and  they  realize  the  truth  of  the  promise.  They  do 
know  of  the  doctrine  that  it  is  of  God.  They  find  such  a  blessed 
agreement  between  the  representations  of  Scripture,  and  the  feel- 
ings of  their  own  hearts,  that  they  cannot  doubt  as  to  the  Divine 
origin  of  the  Bible.  It  must  have  proceeded  from  that  Being,  who 
perfectly  knows  the  hearts  of  his  own  children,  and  has  so  accu- 
rately set  them  forth  in  the  pages  of  his  word. 

If  the  Bible  is  God's  book,  my  children,  coming  to  us  in  his  name 
and  by  his  authority,  then  it  deserves  our  most  serious  and  reverent 
attention.  Who  would  not  listen,  were  God  to  speak  to  him  in  an 
audible  voice  from  the  heavens  ?  Yet  God  is  as  really  speaking  to 
us  in  his  word,  as  though  he  addressed  us  in  a  voice  of  thunder 
from  the  skies.  The  Apostle  Peter  once  heard  the  Holy  One 
speaking  to  him  from  the  skies ;  but  he  says,  "  Ye  have  a  more  sure 
word  of  prophecy  "  than  this.  Yes,  a  more  sure  tvord  of  i^rophecy. 
Let  us  then  give  diligent  heed  to  this  sure  word  of  prophecy,  as  to 
a  light  shining  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  daAvn,  and  the  day- 
star  arise  in  our  hearts. 


CONVERSATION  VI. 

THE  SCRIPTURES  INSPIRED  AND  INFALLIBLE.— Difference  between  revelation 
and  inspiration. — An  infallible  record. — Passages  in  the  Bible  not  true. — Such  explained. 
— Man's  instrumentality. — The  work  of  God. — Proof  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible. — 
The  pi'omise  of  inspiration  from  God. — Many  of  them. — Inspiration  acknowledged  by 
the  writers. — Proclaimed  by  Christ. — Doctrine  of  the  early  fathers. — Objections. — Dif- 
ference in  style  and  method. — Original  manuscript  lost. — Indelicacies  of  the  Bible. — 
Contradictions. — Improper  quotations  of  New  Testament  writers. — Paul's  disclaim  to 
Eevelatiou. — Doctrine  of  inspiration  of  great  importance. 

Son. — In  our  last  conversation  we  satisfied  ourselves  that  God 
has  revealed  himself  to  us  in  his  word,  and,  of  course,  that  his  word 
is  of  Divine  authority.  Does  this  include  what  is  commonly  called 
the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures ;  or  is  that  a  distinct  and  separate 
subject  ? 

Father. — The  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  is  a  separate  subject, 
having  respect  to  the  promulgation  of  God's  revealed  truth,  whether 
by  the  living  voice,  or  the  written  word.  We  have  seen  that  God 
has  made  supernatural  revelations  of  his  truth  and  Mali  to  mankind, 
and  that  these  revelations  are  in  the  Bible.  The  Scriptures  are  a 
record  of  them.  The  question  now  arises,  is  this  a  merely  human 
record,  in  the  main  faithful,  but,  like  everything  else  human,  falli- 
ble and  imperfect  ?  Or  is  it  a  Divinely  inspired  and  infallible  rec- 
ord? Were  the  sacred  writers  left  to  their  own  unaided  wisdom 
in  accomplishing  their  work;  or  were  they  so  inspired  and  assisted 
as  to  be  secured  from  all  mistakes  and  errors ;  being  led  to  write 
just  what  the  Divine  Spirit  would  have  them  write,  and  in  just  the 
manner  in  which  he  would  have  them  write  it  ? 

S. — You  make  a  distinction,  then,  between  revelation  and  inspi- 
ration. 

F. — I  do ;  and  the  subject  before  us  has  been  embarrassed  often, 
by  not  marking  this  distinction.  Revelation  is  the  direct  imjDarta- 
tion  of  God's  truth  to  the  mind  of  the  prophet.  Inspiration  de- 
notes the  assistance  afforded  in  the  utterance  of  God's  truth,  or  in 
recording  what  God  chose  to  have  committed  to  the  sacred  page. 


56  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

All  Scripture  is  not  Divine  revelation ;  but  all  Scripture  is  written 
under  a  Divine  inspiration,  and  consequently  is  an  infallible  record 
of  what  God  cliose  to  have  written  for  our  "  instruction  in  right- 
eousness." There  are  passages  in  the  Bible  which  are  not  true,  in 
any  sense  ;  and  of  course  are  not  revealed  truth.  Such  were  the 
speech  of  the  serpent  to  our  first  mother ;  and  the  message  of  Rab- 
shekah  to  the  Jews  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah ;  and  the  spiteful  letter 
of  Sanballat  to  Nehemiah ;  and  the  false  reasonings  and  reproaches 
of  Job's  three  friends.  Yet  all  these,  and  the  like  Scriptures,  may 
have  been  written  under  a  Divine  inspiration.  We  have  a  true 
and  inspired  account  of  things  said  and  done,  however  false  they 
may  be  in  themselves. 

S. — It  follows  from  these  statements,  that  the  Scriptures  are  the 
work  both  of  men,  and  of  God  ; — of  men  in  the  exercise  of  their 
own  faculties,  who  are  yet  so  supervised,  assisted  and  directed  of 
God,  as  to  be  able  to  record  infallibly  his  truth  and  will.  Is  such 
a  union  of  the  Divine  agency  and  the  human  in  this  work  of  inspi- 
ration possible  ? 

F. — We  have  proof  of  its  possibility,  and  also  of  its  credibility, 
in  that  it  conforms  so  entirely  to  God's  usual  method  of  operating 
in  other  things.  It  is  in  God  that  "we  live,  move,  and  have  our 
being  ;  "  yet  in  giving  us  life,  breath,  and  being,  God  interrupts  not 
the  regular  exercise  of  our  own  natural  powers,  but  rather  sustains 
them.  The  conversion  and  sanctification  of  the  soul,  too,  is  the 
work  of  God ;  yet,  in  this  work,  there  is  no  interference  with  the 
normal  activities  of  him  who  is  the  subject  of  it.  And  so  in  the 
matter  of  inspiration,  God  supervises,  assists,  restrains,  suggests, 
and  does  all  that  is  necessary  that  the  utterance  of  the  record  may 
be  in  accordance  with  his  will ;  and  yet  the  subject  of  it  thinks  his 
own  thoughts,  exercises  his  own  faculties,  and  speaks  or  writes 
much  after  his  own  natural  method. 

S. — But  what  proof  have  we  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  in 
the  sense  explained  ? 

F. — In  the  first  place,  this  is  a  reasonable  supposition.     If  God 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  57 

were  to  be  at  the  expense  of  making  a  revelation,  he  would  not  be 
likely  to  leave  it  to  human  imperfection  and  weakness  to  make  a 
record  of  it.  We  might  reasonably  anticipate  that  he  would  so  in- 
spire and  assist  his  servants  that  they  should  publish  his  truth  in  a 
manner  agreeable  to  his  will. 

From  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  a  considerable  part  of  the  Bible 
must  be  inspired  ;  else  it  is  palpable  imposture.  Frequently,  in  the 
Old  Testament,  we  have  God  himself  speaking,  in  the  first  person. 
We  have  what  purports  to  be  his  own  words.  And  if  the  Bible  is 
true,  they  are  his  own  words.  And  the  sacred  writers  must  have 
been  verbally  inspired  in  recording  them.  So  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, we  have,  through  whole  chapters,  what  purports  to  be  the 
very  words  of  Christ.  Now  the  Avriters  may  have  been  perfectly 
honest,  but  their  memories  were  treacherous ;  and  how  could  they 
be  sure  after  a  lapse  of  years,  that  they  were  giving  the  real  words 
of  Christ,  unless  they  were  assisted  from  above  ?  Hence  the  value 
of  that  promise  which  was  given  to  the  disciples,  "  The  Comforter, 
whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he  shall  teach  you  all 
things,  and  hring  all  things  to  your  remembrance^  whatsoever  I  have 
spoken  unto  you"  (John  xiv.  26). 

There  are  also  other  portions  of  the  Bible  which,  if  they  are  true, 
must  be  inspired.  I  refer  to  those  parts  in  which  the  writer  records 
transactions  which  took  place  long  ages  before  he  was  born.  For 
example ;  how  did  Moses  know  what  God  said  to  Adam,  and  Cain, 
and  Noah,  and  Abraham,  and  what  these  men  said  in  reply,  unless 
he  had  Divine  inspiration  ?  He  might  have  received  some  general 
account  of  things  by  tradition  ;  but  he  does  not  profess  to  record 
doubtful  traditions,  but  the  very  words  which  were  spoken  one  way 
and  the  other. 

^- — Had  the  sacred  writers  o. promise  of  inspiration  in  giving  utter- 
ance to  God's  truth. 

F. — Yes,  there  are  many  such  promises.  Here  was  one  to  Moses. 
"Now  therefore  go,  and  I  will  be  ivith  thy  mouth,  and  I loill  teach 
thse  ivhat  thou  shalt  say''  (Ex.  iv.  12).     The  Apostles  had   such 


58  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

promises  oft  repeated.  "I  will  give  you  a  mouth  and  ivisdom  which 
no  adversary  can  gainsay  or  resist."  "  When  he,  the  Sx)irit  of  truth, 
is  come,  he  shall  guide  you  into  all  truth.''''  "  When  they  shall 
deliver  you  up,  take  no  thought  how  or  what  ye  shall  speak  ;  for  it 
shall  he  given  you  in  that  hour  what  ye  shall  speah  ;  for  it  is  not  ye 
that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  which  speaheth  in  youP 
There  is  no  mistaking  the  import  of  language  such  as  this.  AVe 
have  here  promise  upon  promise,  that  the  servants  of  Christ,  in  giv- 
ing utterance  to  his  truth,  should  be  directed  by  an  influence  from 
on  high.  * 

8. — Do  the  sacred  writers  ever  assert  their  own  iiispiration  ? 

F. — Yes,  and  not  only  so,  but  the  inspiration  one  of  another. 
David  says  of  himself,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  hy  me,  and  his 
word  was  in  my  tongue"  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  2).  "  I  certify  you,"  says 
Paul,  "that  the  gospel  which  was  preached  of  me  was  not  after 
man  ;  for  I  neither  received  it  of  man,  neither  was  I  taught  it  but 
hy  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ.""  "  Which  things  we  speak,  not  in 
words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but  tvhieh  the  Holy  Ghost  teach- 
eth."  "  The  things  which  I  write  unto  you  are  the  commandments 
of  the  Lord.'''' 

The  sacred  writers  not  only  assert,  as  in  these  passages,  their  own 
inspiration  but  the  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  generally.  Paul 
calls  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament  "  the  oracles  of  G-od  " 
(Rom.  iii.  2).  This  is  a  peculiarly  strong  expression.  Among  the 
heathen,  the  oracle  was  the  place  where  the  voice  of  the  god  was 
heard — where  his  responses  were  sounded  forth.  Yet  the  Scriptures 
are  "  the  oracles  of  God.'''' 

Our  Savior  constantly  speaks  of  the  Scriptures  as  the  ivord  of 
God,  and  inspired.  "  The  Holy  Ghost  spake  by  the  mouth  of  David." 
"  Well  sjmke  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Esaias  the  prophet."  "  The  word  of 
God  cannot  be  broken."  "  Making  the  tvord  of  God  of  none  effect 
by  your  traditions." 

Paul  testifies  on  the  point  before  us  as  follows  :  "  All  Scripture  is 
given  hy  inspiratio7i  of  God."     "  The   prophecy   came  not,  in  old 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  59 

time,  by  the  will  of  man,  but  Holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost.""  '•'•  God.,  who,  at  sundry  times  and  in 
divers  manners,  spake  in  time  j^ast  by  the  prophets,  hath,  in  these 
latter  daj's,  sjyokeyi  unto  us  by  his  Son.'^  Nothing  can  be  more 
decisive  than  this  testimony.  If  language  such  as  this  does  not 
prove  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  no  language  can. 

aS'. — How  was  this  doctrine  held  by  the  early  Fathers — the  imme- 
diate successors  of  the  Apostles  ? 

F. — Clement  of  Rome,  in  his  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians, 
says :  "  Give  diligent  heed  to  the  Scriptures,  the  true  sayings  of  the 
Holy  Ghost""  (Chap.  xlv).  Justin  Martyr  says:  "I  think  not  that 
the  words  which  you  hear  the  ]3rophet  speaking  are  uttered  by  him- 
self. Being  filled  with  the  Sj^irit,  they  are  from  the  Divine  Logos 
which  moves  him''"'  (Apology  i.,  p.  336). 

"The  sacred  books,"  says  Origen,  '•'•breathe  the  fidlness  of  the 
Spirit.  There  is  nothing,  either  in  the  law,  in  the  gos];)els,  or  in  the 
Apostles,  which  did  not  descend  from  the  fullness  of  the  Divine 
Majesty"  (Works,  vol.  iii.,  p.  282). 

"  It  is  needless  to  inquire,"  says  Gregory  the  Great,  "  who  wrote 
the  book  of  Job,  since  we  may  surely  believe  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  its  author  "  (Works,  vol.  i.,  p.  7). 

"  What  avails  it,"  says  Theodoret,  "•  to  inquire  whether  all  the 
Psalms  were  written  by  David  ;  it  being  plain  that  all  were  co7iiposed 
under  the  influe^ice  of  the  Holy  Sjnrit "   (Works,  vol.  i.,  p.  395). 

It  is  needless  to  quote  further  from  the  early  Christian  fathers. 
They  were  unanimous  on  the  subject  of  inspiration,  and  took  high 
ground  in  regard  to  it.  They  commonly  speak  of  the  Scriptures  as 
"  the  law  of  God,"  "  the  word  of  God,"  "  the  voice  of  God,"  "  the 
oracles  of  heaven,"  "the  oracles  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Indeed,  the 
full  inspiration  of  the  Scriptures  has  been  the  doctrine  of  the  church, 
in  all  periods  of  its  history.  In  the  Jewish  church,  before  the  com< 
ing  of  Christ,  and  in  the  Christian  church,  from  the  beginning  to 
the  present  time,  the  full  inspiration  of  our  sacred  books  has  been 
received  and  held  as  a  doctrine  of  essential  importance. 


60  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — I  am  glad  to  be  instructed  in  regard  to  this  important  doc- 
trine, and  to  hear  such  convincing  proofs  of  it.  You  are  aware  that 
it  is  much  disputed  in  our  times,  and  that  many  objections  are  urged 
against  it.  Will  you  allow  me  to  call  your  attention  to  some  of 
these  objections  ?  It  is  objected,  you  know,  to  the  idea  of  inspira- 
tion, that  there  are  great  differences  of  style  in  the  books  of  the 
Bible,  each  individual  seeming  to  write  and  speak  in  his  own 
peculiar,  natural  way. 

F. — And  so,  on  the  theory  of  inspiration  which  we  adopt,  we 
might  expect  it  would  be.  If,  as  some  have  supposed,  the  sacred 
writers,  while  under  the  Spirit's  influence,  had  been  deprived  of  the 
regular  exercise  of  their  own  powers,  so  as  to  be  mere  passive  instru- 
ments in  the  hands  of  God,  there  would  be  some  reason  for  connect- 
ing the  idea  of  inspiration  with  great  uniformity  in  regard  to  style ; 
but  if,  as  we  hold,  they  were  left  to  the  natural  exercise  of  their 
own  powers,  while  they  were  instructed,  guided,  superintended  by 
the  Spirit,  and  led  by  him  to  write  that,  and  only  that,  which  was 
agreeable  to  his  will,  then  the  differences  of  style  which  appear  in 
their  writings  are  no  objection  to  the  idea  of  their  inspiration. 
They  are  just  what  might  reasonably  be  expected. 

That  these  differences  of  style  are  consistent  with  even  a  verbal 
inspiration  is  evident  from  the  Scriptures  themselves.  In  many 
parts  of  Scripture,  as  before  remarked,  we  find  God  speaking  in  his 
own  person.  Whole  chapters  of  this  nature  occur  not  unfrequently 
in  the  prophets.  Yet  in  these  chapters  we  find  the  same  differences 
of  style  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible.  God,  speaking  in  his  own  per- 
son by  the  mouth  of  Hosea  or  Amos,  adopts  the  style  of  these  men ; 
but  when  speaking  by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah  or  Joel,  he  adopts  the 
higher  and  more  poetical  diction  of  these  prophets. 

S. — It  is  said  by  some,  that  this  whole  question  of  inspiration 
amounts  to  nothing,  since  we  have  naught  in  our  hands,  at  present, 
but  transcripts  and  translations  ;  the  original  copies,  which  alone 
were  inspired,  having  long  been  lost. 

F. — But   we  do   think  it  of   great  importance  to   have  had  an 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  61 

inspired  and  infallible  original.  From  such  an  original,  all  the 
existing  copies  and  versions  came  ;  and  though  we  have  not  the 
autographs  with  which  to  compare  them,  still  we  can  compare  them 
one  with  another ;  we  can  judge  of  differences  where  they  exist ; 
we  can  judge  wherein  they  differ,  if  at  all,  from  the  original  copies ; 
and  can  thus  approximate,  at  least,  to  the  true  standard.  The  orig- 
inal copies  of  the  ancient  classics  have  all  passed  away  ;  yet  we  like 
to  know  that  there  were  such  copies,  and  by  careful  revision,  com- 
parison, and  criticism,  we  can  measurably  restore  them.  A  copy  of 
the  Scriptures,  or  a  version,  is  a  proper  subject  of  criticism.  We 
may  properly  inquire,  not  whether  the  original  writers  made  mis- 
takes, but  whether  mistakes  have  not  occurred  since ;  whether  the 
copy  or  the  version  conforms  to  the  original.  Thus  far  may  human 
criticism  lawfully  go  in  this  direction ;  but  no  farther.  If  it  may 
transcend  this  limit ;  if  it  may  go  to  the  original  itself,  or  to  what 
is  decided,  on  sufficient  grounds,  to  have  been  the  original ;  then 
we  have  no  standard  left.  The  criticism  of  prophets  and  apostles, 
the  sitting  in  judgment  upon  those  who  preached  and  wrote  by 
inspiration,  is  a  new  science,  "  upon  which,"  as  one  has  well  said, 
"  we  do  not  care  to  venture,  and  the  results  of  which  we  should  dis- 
trust and  dread." 

S. — It  is  said  that  there  are  indelicacies  in  the  Bible,  which  forbid 
the  idea  that  it  is  all  inspired. 

F. — But  are  we  fully  competent  to  judge  in  a  matter  like  this  ? 
Shall  we  set  ourselves  up  as  the  standard  of  delicacy  for  all  ages, 
and  all  people?  In  regard  to  this  matter,  like  most  others,  the 
notions  of  people  vary  in  different  places,  and  at  different  times. 
What  would  be  sufficiently  delicate  to  an  Oriental  now,  and 
would  have  been  so  regarded  by  our  own  fathers  and  mothers  two 
hundred  years  ago,  may  strike  us  differently.  Besides,  words  and 
phrases  often  become  indelicate  as  they  become  common,  and  there 
is  a  necessity  for  changing  them  for  others  in  less  common  use. 
But  here  is  a  book  in  which  the  words  and  phrases,  as  they  stand 
in  the  original,  must  not  be  changed.     The}'"  must  stand  the  same 


62  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

everywhere,  and  in  all  periods  of  time.  This,  doubtless,  is  a  princi- 
pal reason  why  some  few  of  the  words  of  Scripture,  to  a  modern 
ear,  may  seem  indelicate. 

S. — It  is  still  further  objected  that  there  are  contradictions  in  the 
Bible.     What  will  you  say  in  regard  to  these  ? 

F. — That  there  are  a  few  seeming  inconsistencies, — passages 
which,  with  our  means  of  knowledge,  we  may  not  be  able  fully  to 
harmonize, — need  not  be  denied.  But  that  there  were  any  real 
contradictions  in  the  original  Scriptures,  as  they  came  from  God,  is 
what  no  believer  in  Divine  inspiration  can  admit,  and  no  denier  of 
it  can  prove.  I  speak  advisedly  on  this  subject,  having  had  occa- 
sion to  examine  critically  most,  if  not  all,  the  cases  which  have 
been  alleged.  Some  are  the  result,  obviously,  of  mistakes  in  tran- 
scribing, translating,  or  interpreting  ;  while  others  arise  from  our 
ignorance  of  attendant  circumstances,  and  might  at  once  be  har- 
monized, if  these  were  fully  known. 

S. — It  has  been  objected  to  the  inspiration  of  the  New  Testament, 
that  its  writers  sometimes  quote  from  the  Old  Testament  incor- 
rectly, and  apply  their  quotations  improperly. 

F. — The  Apostles  and  evangelists  do  not  always  quote  with 
strict  verbal  accuracy,  nor  do  they  pretend  to  ;  but  we  see  not  how 
this  can  be  urged  against  either  their  inspiration  or  their  truth. 
How  often  do  we  thus  quote  from  the  Scriptures,  and  from  other 
books,  without  any  impeachment  of  our  veracity  ?  Nor  is  it  certain 
that  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  always  apply  the  language 
quoted  from  the  Old  according  to  its  original  intent  and  accepta- 
tion. In  a  few  instances,  they  seem  to  adopt  this  language,  as  a 
phraseology  familiar  to  them,  in  which  to  express  their  own 
thoughts ;  just  as  the  classical  scholar  sometimes  incorporates  a 
passage  from  a  favorite  author,  without  stopping  to  inquire  whether 
his  application  of  it  is  precisely  according  to  its  original  intent.  It 
is  to  his  purpose,  he  takes  it,  and  passes  on.  To  the  Apostles  and 
evangelists,  the  Old  Testament  was  almost  their  only  classic.  Its 
language  was  dear  and  familiar  to  them.     They  were  literally  men 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  63 

of  one  book.  And  from  this  loved  book,  they,  in  a  few  instances, 
take  a  passage  or  a  clause,  because  it  is  apposite  or  illustrative, 
without  pretending  to  appl}'  it  just  as  it  was  applied  by  the  original 
writer ;  and  we  see  nothing  in  this  which  is  at  all  inconsistent  with 
their  good  character  or  their  inspiration. 

S. — It  is  objected  finally,  that  Paul,  in  some  instances,  expressly 
disclaims  a  Divine  inspiration.  "  To  the  rest  speak  1, 7iot  the  Lord  ; 
if  any  brother  hath  a  wife  that  believeth  not,  and  she  be  pleased  to 
dwell  with  him,  let  him  not  put  her  away."  "  Concerning  virgins, 
I  have  no  commandment  of  the  Lord ;  yet  I  give  my  judgment,  as 
one  that  hath -obtained  mercy"  (1,  Cor.  vii.  12,  25). 

F. — In  these  passages,  Paul  obviously  disclaims  something.  But 
what  is  it  ?  Not,  as  it  seems  to  me.  Divine  inspiration,  but  his  hav- 
ing any  exjjress  Divine  command  to  he  enjomed.  He  was  not  inspired 
to  lay  positive  injunctions  upon  the  Corinthians  in  these  matters, 
but  rather  to  give  his  judgment.,  his  advice.  "  Herein  I  give  my 
advice^''  etc.  He  also  tells  us  that  he  "  thinks  he  has  the  Spirit " 
(1  Cor.  vii.  40).  And  if  Paul  thought  that  he  had  the  Spirit,  who 
shall  sa}^  or  think  that  he  had  it  not  ? 

8. — This  doctrine  of  inspiration,  which  you  have  been  so  careful 
to  explain  and  vindicate,  is  clearly  a  doctrine  of  great  importance. 

F. — It  is  so  indeed.  If  the  Bible  is  not  inspired,  in  the  sense 
explained,  then  it  is  not  an  infallible  standard  of  truth  and  duty, 
and  nothing  can  be  certainly  known  or  established  by  it.  The 
Bible  has  been  well  denominated  "  a  code  of  laivs."  But  in  all 
authoritative  communications  or  laws,  it  is  important  that  we  have 
the  precise  words  of  the  law  giver.  So  it  is  with  human  laws. 
The  judge  on  the  bench  must  have  before  him  the  precise  words  of 
the  law,  or  he  cannot  interpret  them.  The  people,  too,  must  have 
the  law  correctl}^  before  them,  or  they  cannot  tell  what  it  requires. 
Suppose  one  of  our  legislatures  should  undertake  to  frame  a  code 
of  laws,  but  instead  of  writing  them  down  themselves,  or  causing 
them  to  be  written  under  their  own  inspection,  should  leave  it  to 
the  reporters  in  different  parts  of  the  house,  to  take  down  the  sub- 


64  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

stance,  or  so  much  of  them  as  they  coukl  recollect,  and  publish 
them  in  the  newspapers.  The  reporters  might  be  honest  and  capa- 
ble men  ;  and  yet  who  could  regard  their  notes  as  laws  ?  In  mat- 
ters such  as  these,  I  repeat,  we  want  the  matured  words  of  the 
law-giver.  And  just  so  in  respect  to  the  Bible.  The  Bible  pur- 
ports to  be  a  code  of  laws,  coming  down  to  us  from  the  great  Law- 
giver of  the  universe,  and  binding  directly  on  our  consciences  and 
hearts.  But  in  order  that  it  may  be  duly  authenticated — may  be  a 
rule  of  life  to  us  here,  and  of  judgment  hereafter,  we  must  have  the 
very  words  of  God.  A  merely  human  record  of  his  truth  and  will 
cannot  bind  us.  We  must  have  a  Bible,  the  whole  of  which  is 
given  by  the  inspiration  of  God,  or  we  have  no  standard  by  which 
to  walk,  or  on  which  to  rely. 


CONVERSATION  VII. 

THE  CREATION. — A  veritable  history  or  a  myth. — Self-evident  testimony. — Other  evi- 
dence.— Creation  of  the  world  explained. — Swedenborg  and  Pantheism. — Time. — Geol- 
ogy and  the  Bible  narrative. — In  the  beginning. — Formation  of  mountains. — Terrible 
revolutions. — Cause  of  the  darkness. — First  chapter  of  Genesis  explained. — The  sun, 
moon  and  star.';. — Institution  of  the  Sabbath. — Length  of  days. — Prehistoric  man. — The 
Mosaic  narrative  descriptive  of  the  earth  before  the  flood. 

Son. — We  have  had  several  conversations  on  topics  directly  per- 
taining to  the  Bible ;  we  come  now  to  its  coiitents.  The  first  fact 
which  meets  us  on  the  pages  of  the  Bible  is  the  creation  of  the  world. 
This,  with  the  connected  events,  occupies  some  of  the  first  chapters 
of  Genesis.  And  I  wish  to  inquire,  first  of  all,  whether  you  regard 
this  as  veritable  history ;  or  is  it  (as  some  insist)  no  more  than  an 
instructive  parable  ? 

Father. — I  regard  it  as  veritable  history,  and  a  most  important 
item  in  the  world's  history.  The  account  in  Genesis  has  all  the 
marks  of  veritable  history,  and  would  be  sufficient  to  establish  the 
fact  of  the  creation  even  if  it  stood  alone — if  it  was  not  sustained 
by  other  evidence.  But  it  is  sustained  by  a  vast  amount  of  other 
evidence,  both  in  the  Bible  and  out  of  it.  It  is  sustained  by  the 
genealogies  of  Scripture,  in  both  the  Old  Testament  and  the  New. 
There  is  a  long  genealogy  in  the  first  book  of  Chronicles,  commenc- 
ing with  Adam,  and  running  down,  in  various  channels,  to  the 
time  of  the  captivity.  Then  there  is  the  genealogy  of  our  Savior, 
in  the  third  chapter  of  Luke,  running  back  from  Jesus,  the  reputed 
son  of  Joseph,  to  Adam,  "  who  was  the  son  of  God." 

Nor  is  this  all.  We  find  frequent  notices  of  Adam,  as  the  pro- 
genitor of  our  race,  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible ;  and  on  this  fact  are 
grounded  some  of  the  essential  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  "As  by  the 
offense  of  one  (Adam)  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemna- 
tion, even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one  (Christ)  the  free  gift  came 
upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life.  For  as  by  one  man's  disobe- 
dience many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obedience  of  one  shall 

5 


66  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

many  be  made  righteous  "  (Rom.  v.  18,  19).  "  Since  by  man  came 
death,  by  man  came  also  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  For  as  in 
Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive  "  (1  Cor.  xv. 
21,  22).  You  see  from  these  passages,  that  the  history  of  Adam 
and  of  the  creation  stands  connected  with  much  Bible  truth,  and 
must  stand  as  long  as  the  Gospel. 

S. — Please  explain  to  me  now  what  you  understand  by  the  crea- 
tion of  the  world. 

F. — By  the  creation  of  the  world  I  understand  something  more 
than  the  making  of  one  thing  from  another.  With  the  appropriate 
materials,  we  can  make  many  things.  And,  by  most  of  the  ancient 
heathen  philosophers,  creation  was  supposed  to  be  nothing  more, 
in  kind.,  than  this.  But  it  is  obvious  that  a  world  thus  made 
would  not  be  a  proper  creation.     It  Avould  be  rather  a  fabrication. 

S. — What  will  you  say  of  the  doctrine  of  Swedenborg,  and  of 
Pantheists  generally,  that  the  world  is  from  the  very  substaiice  of 
God. 

F. — I  say  that  such  a  doctrine  has  no  foundation  either  in  reason 
or  Scripture,  but  is  refuted  by  both.  If  the  world  and  all  things  it 
contains  are  from  the  substance  of  God,  then  they  are  independent 
and  iridestructible  like  God, — which  we  have  no  reason  to  suppose  is 
true.  They  are  also  parts  of  God  ;  and  this  involves  the  absurdity 
that  the  infinite  God  is  divisible  into  parts.  It  involves  also  the 
mutability,  the  changeableyiess  of  God.  For  certainly  there  are  con- 
tinual changes  going  on  in  the  Avorld  around  us ;  and  if  the  world 
and  all  its  contents  are  of  the  substance  of  God,  then  there  are  con- 
tinual changes  in  his  substance.  In  short,  the  doctrine  before  us  is 
but  saying  that  everything  is  God,  and  God  everything,  which  is 
Pantheism.,  Atheism.  It  is  denying  the  existence  of  a  personal  God, 
who  made  the  world  and  governs  it ;  and  this  is  to  deny  that  there 
is,  properly  speaking,  any  God  at  all. 

S. — Both  these  negative  statements  as  to  creation  I  admit ;  but 
you  have  not  yet  told  us  positively  what  creation  is — what  you 
understand  by  it. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  67 

F. — Let  me  say  then,  in  a  word,  that  by  creation  I  understand, 
the  making  of  all  created  things /rom  nothing.  God  made  them  all, 
not  out  of  himself,  or  from  eternal,  elemental,  chaotic  matter,  but 
from  nothing.  He  brought  them  into  being.  He  gave  them  exist- 
ence^ when  before  they  had  none.  This  is  what  we  understand  by 
the  work  of  creation.  This  is  the  proper  signification  of  the  origi- 
nal word  translated  create,  in  the  first  verse  of  the  Bible.  The 
Apostle  Paul  gives  us  the  same  idea,  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  "  Through  faith  we  .understand  that  the 
worlds  were  framed  by  the  word  of  God ;  so  that  the  things  which 
are  seen  were  not  made  of  things  which  do  appear,"  or  of  things 
already  existing,  which  is  the  same  as  to  say  they  were  made  from 
nothing.  The  Jews  seem  to  have  held  this  idea  of  creation  in  all 
periods  of  their  history.  Thus  it  is  said  in  the  Maccabees,  "  Look 
upon  the  heaven,  and  the  earth,  and  all  that  is  therein,  and  consider 
that  God  made  them  of  things  which  are  not'''  (2  Mace,  vii,  28).' 
Pliilo  also  says,  "  The  things  that  were  not,  God  called  into  being.'''' 

S. — But  if  this  world  was  created  from  nothing,  it  was  created  in 
time  ;  and  it  is  insisted  that  the  date  of  its  creation,  as  fixed  in  the 
first  chapters  of  the  Bible, — less  than  six  thousand  years  ago, — can 
never  be  made  to  harmonize  with  the  facts  of  geological  science. 

F. — It  is  assumed  by  those  who  urge  this  objection,  that  the 
Scriptures  make  the  age  of  the  world  to  be  something  less  than  six 
thousand  years  ;  that,  at  the  time  of  placing  our  first  parents  upon 
it,  the  world  itself  was  created  from  nothing.  But  have  they  any 
right  to  such  an  assumption  ?  Where  is  it  said  in  Scripture  that 
the  world  we  inhabit  was  made  from  nothing  at  the  time  of  the  crea- 
tion of  our  first  parents  ?    I  answer  confidently,  noivhere. 

S. — How  then  do  you  interpret  the  first  verse  of  the  Bible  :  "  In 
the  beginning  God  created  the  heavens  and  the  earth  ?  " 

F. — This  sentence  I  regard  as  a  paragraph  by  itself.  It  is  an 
independent,  a  most  important,  and,  I  will  add, — considering  the 
circumstances  under  which  it  was  written, — a  most  remarkable 
declaration ;  announcing  that,  at  some  time,  at  some  remote  period 


68  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


of  antiquity,  in  the  beginning  of  his  works,  God  did  create  the 
heavens  and  the  earth.  There  is  not  a  verse  in  the  Bible  which 
bears  the  impress  of  Divine  revelation  more  strongly  than  this. 
At  what  period,  in  the  lapse  of  eternal  ages,  this  great  event  took 
place,  we  are  not  informed  ;  what  was  the  appearance  or  consistence 
of  the  earth  at  its  first  creation  we  are  not  informed  ;  nor  have  we 
the  slightest  information  as  to  the  changes  and  revolutions  of  the 
world,  nor  as  to  the  forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  which  it  bore 
upon  its  surface,  during  the  remoter  ages  of  its  history.  This  was 
emphatically  the  geological  period  of  the  world ;  and  the  geologist 
has  space  enough  here  for  his  deepest,  widest  researches.  He  has 
scope  enough  for  any  conclusions  to  which  he  may  reasonably  come, 
without  the  remotest  danger  of  trenching  on  any  of  the  annuncia- 
tions of  revealed  truth. 

That  a  vastly  long  period  intervened  between  the  proper  creation 
of  the  world,  spoken  of  in  the  first  verse  of  the  Bible,  and  the  com- 
mencement of  the  six  days'  work,  recorded  in  the  following  verses, 
there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt.  It  was  during  this  period  that 
the  earth  assumed  a  solid  form.  Its  heated  masses  were  cooled  and 
conglomerated  ;  the  primary  rocks  were  crystallized ;  the  transition, 
the  secondary,  and  the  deeper  portion  of  the  tertiary  rocks  were  de- 
posited and  petrified ;  the  lower  forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  exist- 
ence appeared  and  perished  ;  multitudes  of  marine  and  amj)hibious 
animals, — some  of  them  of  huge  and  terrific  forms, — lived  and  died, 
and  their  remains  lie  embedded  in  the  solid  rocks.  Vast  quanti- 
ties of  vegetable  matter  also  accumulated  on  the  earth,  and  was 
treasured  up  beneath  its  surface  for  the  future  use  and  benefit  of 
man. 

aS'. — Is  it  likely  that  the  earth  was  at  rest  and  quiet,  during  this 
long  primitive  period  ? 

F. — No  ;  geology  teaches  that  it  was  not  at  rest.  It  underwent 
frequent  and  terrible  revolutions.  Its  internal  fires  were  raging  in 
their  prison  house,  and  often  bursting  through  the  crust  which  con- 
fined them.     The  mountains  were  upheaved  from  their  deeper  than 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  69 

ocean  beds ;  trap-dykes  were  formed  ;  and  the  stratified  rocks  were 
tilted  from  their  original,  horizontal  positions  in  every  direction. 

*S'. — When  do  we  next  hear  of  the  state  of  the  earth  in  the  Bible  ? 
And  what  do  we  hear  ? 

F. — It  was  subsequent,  as  I  think,  to  one  of  these  terrible  revolu- 
tions of  which  I  have  spoken — a  revolution  which  had  torn  the  earth 
to  its  center,  merged  the  greater  part  of  it  beneath  the  ocean,  and 
destroyed  almost  every  trace  of  animal  and  vegetable  existence,  that 
mention  is  made  of  it  in  the  second  verse  of  our  Bible.  It  was 
then  "  without  form  and  void,  and  darkness  was  upon  the  face  of 
the  deep." 

*S'. — Why  was  the  earth  dark  at  this  period  ? 

F. — Not  because  there  was  no  sun,  but  because  murky,  caliginous 
gases  and  vapors  had  utterly  obscured  the  light  of  the  sun,  and  shut 
it  out  from  the  desolate  world.  It  was  like  the  darkness  of  Egypt, 
in  one  of  the  plagues  of  that  smitten  country. 

But  God  had  not  abandoned  the  work  of  his  own  hands.  He 
had  nobler  purposes  to  answer  by  this  seemingly  ruined  world  than 
any  which  it  had  hitherto  accomplished.  It  was  no  longer  to  be 
the  abode  of  saurians,  and  mastodons,  and  other  huge  and  terrific 
monsters,  but  was  to  be  fitted  up  and  adorned  for  a  new  and  nobler 
race  of  beings.  Accordingly,  the  Spirit  of  God  began  to  move  upon 
the  turbid  waters,  and  order  and  peace  were  gradually  restored. 

S. — The  thought  you  have  here  suggested  is  one  of  great  interest. 
Please  go  on  and  interpret  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  in  accord- 
ance with  this  theory. 

F. — Upon  the  first  day,  God  said,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there 
was  light."  The  dense  clouds  and  vapors,  which  had  enveloped  the 
earth,  and  shut  out  entirely  the  light  of  heaven,  were  so  far  dissi- 
pated, that  it  was  easy  to  distinguish  between  day  and  night. 

On  the  second  day,  God  said,  "  Let  there  be  a  firmament  in  the 
midst  of  the  waters,  and  let  it  divide  the  waters  from  the  waters. 
And  God  called  the  firmament  heaven."  The  work  here  denoted 
was  the  elevation  of  the   clouds,  and  the  separation  of  the  aerial 


70  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


waters  by  a  visible  firmament — the  seeming  canopy  of  heaven — 
from  those  wliicli  rested  on  the  earth. 

"  And  God  said,  Let  the  waters  under  the  heaven  be  gathered 
together  into  one  place,  and  let  the  dry  land  appear;  and  it  was  so. 
And  God  called  the  dry  land  earth.,  and  the  gathering  together  of 
the  waters  called  he  seas.  And  God  said.  Let  the  earth  bring  forth 
grass,  the  herb  yielding  seed,  and  the  fruit-tree  yielding  fruit  after 
his  kind ;  and  it  was  so.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning  were 
the  third  day."  In  the  course  of  this  day,  vast  portions  of  the 
earth's  surface  were  elevated ;  others  Avere  depressed;  continents 
and  islands  were  raised  up ;  and  the  seas  and  oceans  were  made  to 
know  their  bounds.  As  soon  as  the  dry  land  appeared,  it  began  to 
be  clothed  with  vegetation.  The  forming  hand  of  the  Creator  cov- 
ered it  (without  doubt,  by  miracles)  with  new  species  of  trees  and 
vegetables,  in  place  of  those  which  had  been  destroyed. 

"  And  God  said,  Let  there  be  lights  in  the  firmament  of  heaven  to 
divide  the  day  from  the  night.  And  God  made  two  great  lights  ; 
the  greater  light  to  rule  the  day,  and  the  lesser  light  to  rule  the 
night.  He  made  the  stars  also.  And  the  evening  and  the  morning 
were  the  fourth  day." 

S. — Were  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  literally  made  on  this  fourth 
day? 

F. — I  think  not ;  but  they  were  now  made  to  shine  out  upon  the 
renovated  earth.  The}^  now  first  became  visible  lights  to  the  form- 
ing world.  The  dark  clouds  and  vapors  had  before  been  so  far  dis- 
•sipated,that  it  Avas  easy  to  distinguish  between  day  and  night.  But 
now  they  were  entirely  dissipated,  and  the  lights  of  heaven  shone 
down  upon  the  earth  in  full-orbed  splendor. 

The  representation  throughout  this  chapter,  it  should  be  re- 
marked, is  rather  phenomenal.,  than  philosophical  and  literal.  It 
accords  Avith  Avhat  would  have  been  the  appearance  of  things,  had 
there  been  any  spectator  on  the  earth,  at  the  time,  to  observe  them. 
Thus  Avhen  it  is  said  that  God  made  a  firmament.,  Ave  are  not  to  un- 
derstand that  the  seeming  canopy  above  us  is  a  literal  thing.,  a  shin- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  71 

ing  substance ;  but  only  that  such  is  the  appearance  to  a  spectator 
on  the  earth.  And  when  it  is  said  that  God  made  two  great  lights, 
and  set  them  in  the  firmament,  we  are  not  to  supj^ose  that  the  sun 
and  moon  were  now  first  created,  and  fixed  in  the  blue  expanse,  but 
that  such  would  have  been  the  appearance  to  man,  had  he  been  alive 
on  the  fourth  day,  when  the  sun  and  moon  commenced  their  shining. 

On  the  fifth  day,  God  peopled  the  waters  with  fishes,  and  the  air 
with  birds  and  flying  fowls. 

On  the  sixth  day,  he  brought  forth  the  beast  of  the  earth,  the 
cattle,  and  every  creeping  thing,  after  his  kind.  He  also  created 
man  in  his  own  image.  ]\Iale  and  female  created  he  them,  and 
gave  them  dominion  over  all  the  creatures  that  he  had  made. 

On  the  seventh  day,  God  ended  his  work — the  great  work  of  re- 
organizing and  renewing  a  desolate  world,  preparing  it  for  the  resi- 
dence of  man,  and  placing  man  and  the  other  creatures  upon  it. 
"  And  he  blessed  the  seventh  day,  and  sanctified  it,  because  that  in 
it  he  had  rested  from  all  his  work." 

S. — Have  we  here  the  institution  of  the  weekly  Sabbath? 

F. — Undoubtedly  ;  it  came  down  to  us  from  the  garden  of  Eden. 
Next  to  marriage,  it  Avas  the  first  institution  given  to  man.  In  the 
fourth  commandment,  there  is  an  exjDress  reference  to  the  Sabbath 
as  having  been  instituted  at  the  creation. 

iS. — I  perceive  that,  in  harmonizing  the  Scripture  account  of  the 
creation  with  the  facts  of  science,  you  do  not  take  the  ground  of 
some  commentators,  that  the  days  spoken  of  in  the  first  chapter  of 
Genesis  are  not  literal  days,  but  indefinitely  long  periods  of  time. 

jP. — I  cannot  take  this  ground,  and  that  for  two  reasons  :  It  seems 
to  me  inconsistent  with  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  also  with  the  lan- 
guage of  Scripture.  If  there  w^as  no  sun  in  existence  before  the 
fourth  long  period  or  day, — as  the  advocates  of  the  cycle  period  gen- 
erally admit, — then  how  could  the  earth,  without  a  sun,  be  covered 
with  trees  and  vegetables  through  all  the  third  period  ?  And  how 
could  the  earth,  without  a  sun,  be  held  in  its  orbit  ?  And  how  were 
the  evening  and  the  morning  produced  ? 


72  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

But  my  principal  objection  to  the  cycle  theory  grows  out  of  the 
language  of  the  Bible.  The  seventh  day  was  a  season  of  holy  and 
blessed  rest.  Was  this  also  an  indefinitely  long  period  ?  And  if 
so,  what  becomes  of  the  primeval  institution  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
the  antediluvian  division  of  time  into  weeks  of  seven  days  ?  And 
what  shall  be  said  of  the  language  of  the  fourth  commandment,  and 
the  reason  there  assigned  for  its  observance  ?  "  In  six  days  the 
Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and 
rested  the  seventh  day ;  wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath 
day,  and  hallowed  it"  (Ex.  xx.  11).  This  alone  is  sufficient  to  prove 
that  the  six  working  days  of  the  creation  were  no  more  than  literal 
days,  as  the  seventh  was  a  literal  day  of  rest. 

S. — But  is  not  your  interpretation  of  the  six  days'  work  equally 
inconsistent  with  the  fourth  commandment,  which  says  that  "in  six 
days  the  Lord  made  the  heavens,  and  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  that 
in  them  is ; "  whereas  you  have  said  that  the  six  days'  work  was 
only  the  renewing,  reorganizing,  and  repeopling  of  a  previously 
created  but  then  desolate  world. 

F. — The  original  word  translated  made  in  the  fourth  command- 
ment does  not  import,  like  that  in  the  first  verse  of  the  Bible,  a 
literal  creation.^  but  rather  a  transformation,  a  fabrication,  the  shap- 
ing and  making  of  one  thing  from  another.  In  this  sense,  the 
world  was  literall}'  made  in  six  days :  not  created,  but  made  over — 
made  what  it  now  is.  It  was  fitted  up  for  the  residence  of  man, 
and  the  present  species  of  animals  and  vegetables,  and  they  were 
placed  upon  it. 

S. — Were  six  literal  days  sufficient, — unless  we  suppose  many 
things  to  have  been  done  by  miracle, — for  renewing  and  repeopling 
the  earth? 

F. — We  do  suppose  many  things  to  have  been  done  by  miracle ; 
and  all  who  hold  to  a  proper  creation  or  reorganization  of  the  world 
must  admit  the  same.  The  whole  work  was  an  almost  continual 
succession  of  miracles.  The  formation  of  every  new  species  of  ani- 
mal or  vegetable  was  a  miracle.     There  is  a  natural  law  by  which 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  73 

a  species,  once  created,  may  propagate  itself,  but  no  law  by  which  it 
may  bring  itself  into  being,  or  by  which  one  species  may  generate 
another,  or  may  grow,  develop  into  another.  Hence,  the  commence- 
ment of  every  new  species  involves  a  miracle,  in  whatever  time  or 
manner  the  work  may  have  been  performed.  It  is  as  much  a  mira- 
cle to  form  an  acorn,  and  let  it  grow  into  an  oak,  as  it  would  be  to 
form  the  oak  itself.  It  is  as  much  a  miracle  to  form  an  infant,  and 
let  him  grow  up  to  a  man,  as  it  would  be  to  form  a  man.  There 
is  no  avoiding  the  supposition  of  miracles  in  the  forming  and  peo- 
pling of  the  world,  in  whatever  manner  the  work  may  have  been 
done ;  and  if  we  allow  the  intervention  of  miracles,  then  six  days, — 
or  even  a  less  time,  if  such  had  been  the  pleasure  of  the  Almighty, 
— would  have  been  amply  sufficient  for  the  work  performed. 

S. — It  is  objected,  you  know,  to  the  creation  of  man  at  the  time 
supposed  in  the  Scriptures,  that  his  existence  may  be  traced  to  a 
much  earlier  period. 

F. — This  is  a  recent  objection  of  geologists  ;*  and  I  have  exam- 
ined all  the  facts  which  have  been  adduced  in  support  of  it — the 
flint  implements,  the  jaw-bones  and  skeletons,  the  brick  and  pottery 
of  the  Nile,  the  lake  buildings,  etc.  I  might  remark  upon  them  all 
at  length ;  but  really  they  do  not  deserve  so  much  attention.  The 
things  discovered  may  be  the  relics, — or  some  of  them  may, — of 
antediluvian  men,  but  not  of  pre-Adamite  men.  They  fail  entirely 
to  prove  the  point  for  which  they  are  adduced,  as  has  been  often 
shown  by  scientific  men. 

I  adduce  two  facts  for  the  consideration  of  those  who  claim  that 
this  earth  has  long  been  inhabited  by  human  beings, — some  say  for 
a  hundred  thousand  years.  The  first  relates  to  the  present  popula- 
tion of  the  earth.  There  is  no  law  of  nature  more  certain  than  that 
of  the  increase  of  population,  in  a  geometrical  progression,  doubling 
its  numbers  at  ascertainable  periods.     These  periods  are  not  the 


*Only  a  few  years  ago,  Mr.  Lyell,  the  great  advocate  of  pre-Adamite  nieu,  was  opposed 
to  the  progressive  development  theory,  and  advocated  the  comparatively  receut  origin  of 
man  on  the  earth.     See  memoira  of  Prof  Silliman,  vol.  ii.,  p.  63. 


74  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

same  in  different  circumstances  and  countries,  varying  from  twenty- 
five  to  a  hundred  years.  But  supposing  tlie  earth's  population  to 
double  only  once  in  a  hundred  years,  the  whole  number  in  a  hun- 
dred thousand  years  would  be  incalculable.  It  would  not  leave  a 
square  foot  of  surface  to  each  individual. 

The  other  fact  which  we  wish  to  present  is  this  :  On  supposition 
that  men  have  been  living,  growing,  improving  on  the  earth  for  a 
hundred  thousand  years,  or  for  half  that  time,  why  is  it  that  the 
historical  period  of  the  race  is  of  so  recent  a  date  ?  Why  have  we  no 
authentic  records  of  some  of  these  long  ages  ?  Why  do  our  standard 
histories  commence  so  near  to  us,  and  so  near  together  ?  We  have 
no  history  of  Persia  other  than  that  of  Herodotus,  or  of  Egypt  than 
that  of  Manetho,  or  of  Greece  than  that  of  Thuc3'dides,  or  of  China 
than  that  of  Confucius,  or  of  India  than  the  time  of  Alexander  the 
Great.  Previous  to  these  times,  we  have  myths  and  fables,  but  no 
authentic  secular  history.  And  why  have  we  not?  Why  did  not 
those  old  sages,  who  lived  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  thousand  years 
ago,  leave  something  more  intelligible  than  a  jaw-bone,  a  skull,  a 
splint  of  rock,  or  a  piece  of  broken  pottery?  Let  those  answer,  who 
insist  upon  an  indefinitely  long  period  for  the  existence  of  man  upon 
the  earth, beyond  that  assigned  to  him  in  the  Bible. 

I  trust  it  will  appear  from  what  has  been  said,  that  there  is  noth- 
ing in  the  scriptural  account  of  the  creation  which  conflicts  at  all 
with  any  of  the  revelations  of  modern  science.  Be  not  afraid  of  any 
genuine  deductions  of  true  science.  The  world  and  the  Bible  are 
from  the  same  author.  The  inscriptions  on  the  imbedded  rocks, 
and  on  the  sacred  page,  are  from  the  same  hand.  They  cannot  con- 
tradict each  other ;  they  never  did,  and,  properly  interpreted,  they 
never  will.  Let  science  be  faithfully  and  thoroughly  pursued, — 
the  more  thoroughly  the  better, — and  its  conclusions  will  always 
serve,  not  to  confute,  but  to  confirm,  the  declarations  of  revealed 
truth. 


CONVERSATION  VIII. 

THE  GARDEN  OF  EDEN.— Location  of  the  Garden.— What  it  contained.— The  Great 
Rivers. — The  Tree  of  Good  and  Evil. — Its  fruit. — Tiie  nature  of  it. — Why  called  the 
Tree  of  Knowledge. — The  Tree  of  Life. — Its  object  and  use. — The  result  had  Adam  and 
Eve  ate  of  its  fruit. — Moral  reflections. 

Son. — It  is  said  (Gen.  ii.  8),  that  "the  Lord  planted  a. garden 
eastward  in  Eden,  and  there  he  put  the  man  which  he  had  made." 
Can  you  tell  us  aught  about  this  primeval  garden  ?  Where  was  it 
situated  ?    And  what  did  it  contain  ? 

Father. — Eden  was  the  name  of  a  country,  or  section  of  country. 
The  garden  was  some  delightful  locality  in  that  countrj'-,  which  God 
had  prepared  for  our  first  parents,  and  in  which  he  placed  them 
immediately  after  their  creation.  Moses  gives  us  some  description 
of  the  place,  from  which,  I  think,  we  may  determine  its  situation,  or 
ver}^  nearly. 

S. — Is  it  likely  that  the  description  of  Moses  applies  to  the  coun- 
try as  it  was  in  his  day,  or  as  it  was  originally,  before  the  flood. 

F. — Two  considerations  go  to  assure  us  that  the  description  of 
Moses  applies  to  the  rivers  and  countries  spoken  of  as  they  were 
after  the  flood,  and  as  they  were  known  to  be  in  his  age.  1.  On 
the  other  supposition,  his  description  would  be  perfectly  useless. 
It  could  convey  no  knowledge  or  idea  of  the  locality  whatever.  2. 
The  names  of  the  countries  described  are  such  as  must  have  been 
given  to  them  after  the  flood.  How  came  any  country  to  be  called 
Havilah  ?  It  was  named  for  Havilah,  who  was  a  son  of  Gush,  a 
grandson  of  Ham,  and  a  great-grandson  of  Noah  (Gen.  x.  7).  And 
why  was  any  country  called  Gush,  improperly  rendered  by  our  trans- 
lators, Ethiopia  ?  It  was  named  for  Gush,  the  father  of  Havilah, 
and  the  son  of  Ham.  We  thus  see  that  both  the  countries  referred 
to  in  the  description  of  Eden  were  named  for  individuals  who  lived 
after  the  flood.  We  infer,  assuredly,  that  the  description  applies  to 
these  countries  as  they  were  subsequent  to  the  deluge,  and  probably 
in  the  days  of  Moses. 


76  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Admitting  the  truth  of  this,  can  we  determine,  from  the 
description  of  Moses,  where  Eden,  or  the  Garden  of  Eden,  was  situ- 
ated ? 

F. — It  is  certain  from  the  account  in  Genesis,  that  Eden  must 
have  been  contiguous  to  tlie  rivers,  Hiddekel  and  Euphrates.  The 
Hiddekel  is  undoubtedly  the  Tigris.  It  was  so  considered  by 
the  ancients  generally,  and  is  so  translated  in  the  Septuagint.  It 
agrees  to  the  Tigris,  in  that  it  goes  before  Assyria.  Moses  calls  the 
Euphrates  the  PJirat ;  and  so  it  has  been  called  from  the  most  an- 
cient times.  The  little  word  -£V,  signifying  water,  has  been  pre- 
fixed to  it ;  so  that  Euphrates  is  literally  the  waters  of  the  Phrat. 

S. — From  the  description  thus  far,  it  is  clear  that  Eden  must 
have  been  somewhere  on  the  rivers  Euphrates  and  Tigris ;  but 
where  ? 

F. — As  these  rivers  rise  near  each  other  in  the  mountains  of 
Armenia,  some  writers  have  been  inclined  to  j)lace  the  garden  of 
Eden  there.  But  there  are  two  objections  to  this  supposition.  1. 
The  garden  of  Eden  was  eastiuard  from  the  place  where  Moses  was 
when  he  wrote  the  account :  "  The  Lord  planted  a  garden  eastward 
in  Eden."  Now  if  Moses  wrote  the  Pentateuch  during  the  sojourn 
of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness,  the  mountains  of  Armenia  would 
have  been,  not  eastward  from  him,  but  far  to  the  north.  2.  We 
shall  look  in  vain  for  the  lands  of  Havilah  and  Gush  (translated 
Ethiopia)  in  the  mountains  of  Armenia. 

S.- — In  the  narrative,  Moses  speaks  not  only  of  the  rivers  Eu- 
phrates and  Hiddekel  or  Tigris,  but  of  two  others,  the  Pison  and 
Gihon.  The  Pison,  he  says,  "  compasseth  the  whole  land  of  Havi- 
lah, where  there  is  gold."  Where  now  is  the  land  of  Havilah? 
Or  where  did  Havilah,  the  great  grandson  of  Noah,  settle  ? 

F. — Havilah  was  in  the  north-eastern  part  of  Arabia,  near  the 
Persian  Gulf,  opposite  to  Shur  on  the  north-western  part,  which 
bordered  on  the  Red  Sea.  Thus  it  is  said  of  the  Ishmaelites  that 
"  they  dwelt  from  Havilah  unto  Shur,  that  is  before  Egypt "  (Gen. 
XXV.  18).     We  have  a  parallel  expression  in  1  Sam.  xv.  7.     "And 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  77 

Saul  smote  the  Amalekites  from  Havilali  until  thou  comest  to  Sliur, 
that  is  over  against  Egypt."  Shur,  then,  was  in  the  north-western 
part  of  Arabia,  touching  upon  the  Red  Sea,  and  opposite  to  it,  in 
the  north-eastern  part,  was  Havilah,  which  was  compassed  by  the 
ancient  Pison. 

S. — May  I  next  inquire,  where  was  the  land  of  Cush,or  Ethiopia, 
which  the  Gihon  comjjassed  ?  In  other  words,  where  did  Gush,  the 
grandson  of  Noah,  originally  settle  ? 

F. — The  Cushites  or  Ethiopians  seem  to  have  been  a  migratory 
people.  At  a  later  period,  we  find  them  in  the  south-eastern  part 
of  Arabia ;  and  still  later  in  Africa,  in  the  country  now  called  Ethi- 
opia. But  their  first  settlement  after  the  flood  seems  to  have  been 
on  the  eastern  mouth-branch  of  the  Euphrates,  where  it  enters  the 
Persian  Gulf.*  The  Euphrates,  you  will  remember,  after  it  receives 
the  Tigris,  flows  on  in  one  channel  about  two  hundred  miles,  when 
it  divides  into  two  rivers,  forming  a  delta,  like  the  Nile.  The  west- 
ernmost of  these  delta  streams,  called  the  Pison,  compassed  the 
ancient  Havilah  ;  and  the  easternmost,  called  the  Gihon,  compassed 
the  ancient  Cush,  both  running  into  the  Persian  Gulf.  That  the 
Cushites  originally  dwelt  on  this  mouth-branch  of  the  Euphrates  is 
evident,  because  they  have  left  their  name  there.  The  country  is 
expressly  called  Cuth  or  6'wsA,  and  the  inhabitants  Cuthai  or  Cush- 
ites (2  Kings  xvii.  24,  36). 

We  have  now  found  the  four  rivers  spoken  of  by  Moses, — the 
Euphrates,  the  Tigris,  the  Gihon  and  the  Pison  ;  and  it  cannot  be 
difficult  to  fix  pretty  nearly  the  situation  of  the  primitive  Eden. 
It  must  have  been  on  the  Euphrates  between  its  junction  with  the 
Tigris  and  its  separation  into  the  Pison  and  Gihon.  And  some- 
where in  this  land  of  Eden  was  the  garden — the  j';araf?zse  of  Adam 
and  Eve.  The  great  river  Euphrates  ran  through  the  land  of  Eden, 
and  "went  out  of  it  to  water  the  garden;  and  from  thence,"  i.  e., 
from  the  land  of  Eden,  "  it  was  parted  into  four  heads  "  or  streams  ; 
two  coming  down  from  above,  and  dividing  itself  into  two  below. 

*See  Rawliusou's  Evidences,  p.  274. 


78  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Other  hypotheses  have  been  urged  as  to  the  locality  of  Eden ;  but 
upon  a  careful  review  of  what  has  been  said,  I  am  sure  that  the  one 
here  suggested  is  the  best  established.  I  know  no  other  spot  on 
the  face  of  the  earth  which  agrees  at  all  with  the  description  that 
Moses  has  left  us. 

S. — Having  now  fixed  the  locality  of  Eden,  let  us  pause  and  con- 
sider what  kind  of  place  it  was,  and  what  it  contained. 

F. — Its  very  name  imports  that  it  was  a  delightful  place.  The 
imagination  of  a  Milton  could  not  have  exceeded  it.  In  it  was 
"  every  tree  that  was  pleasant  to  the  sight,  and  good  for  food.  The 
tree  of  life,  also,  was  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  and  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  between  good  and  evil."  Both  of  these  were  fruit  trees; 
but  as  to  the  kind  of  fruit  which  either  of  them  bore  we  have  no 
knowledge.  Without  doubt,  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  was 
tempting  and  beautiful.  It  was  placed  in  the  garden  for  the  ty^al 
of  our  innocent  first  parents.  They  needed  a  trial.  They  must 
have  a  trial.  God  tries  all  his  intelligent  creatures  before  he  fixes 
them  in  their  eternal  state.  As  our  first  parents  were  unlearned 
and  inexperienced,  it  was  proper  that  their  trial  should  be  of  the 
plainest,  simplest  kind.  The  prohibition  enjoined  upon  them  was 
one  which  they  could  not  misunderstand,  and  which  they  could 
not  ignorantly  or  excusably  violate. 

S. — Why  was  the  tree  of  which  you  speak  called  "  the  tree  of  the 
knowledge  between  good  and  evil?  " 

F. — It  was  so  called,  I  presume,  because  by  means  of  it  our  first 
parents  came  to  know,  experimentally^  the  difference  between  good 
and  evil.  But  for  this  tempting,  seductive  tree,  they  never  had 
known,  in  their  own  experience,  what  sin,  or  pain,  or  evil  was,  and 
consequently  had  not  known  the  diiference  between  evil  and  good. 

S. — But  there  was  another  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  called 
the  tree  of  life.  What  are  we  to  suppose  was  the  import,  the  object,' 
and  use  of  this  remarkable  tree  ? 

F. — Before  directly  answering  this  question,  let  it  be  observed 
that  temiJoral  death — the  dissolution  of  the  connection  between  soul 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


and  body — is  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  bitter  consequences  of 
the  fall.  So  it  is  represented  in  the  Scriptures.  "  By  man  came 
death."  "  In  Adam  all  die."  "  By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the 
world,  and  death  hy  sin.''  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  man  would 
ever  have  been  called  to  suffer  the  pains  of  temporal  death,  if  he 
had  not  sinned.  He  might  not  indeed  have  lived  in  this  world 
always  ;  but  some  easier  exit  out  of  it  would  have  been  provided 
for  him  than  through  the  iron  gate  of  death.  He  might  have  been 
translated, as  were  Enoch  and  Elijah.  At  any  rate,  he  would  not 
have  been  called  to  suffer  the  pains  of  temporal  dissolution. 

But  if  man, in  his  innocence,  was  not  subject  to  death,  then  some 
provision  must  have  been  made  for  counteracting  and  removing  the 
sources  of  disease  and  dissolution  within  him — the  ordinary  causes 
of  death.  As  he  was  not  to  lead  a  life  of  indolence,  but  one  of 
cheerful,  healthful  industry,  dressing  the  garden  of  Eden  and  keep- 
ing it,  he  was  subject,  as  man  now  is,  to  casualties  and  injuries. 
He  was  subject  inherently  and  necessarily  to  hunger,  thirst,  lassi- 
tude, weariness,  disease,  decay ;  and  these  must  ultimately  have 
worn  him  out,  and  resulted  in  death,  had  not  some  method  been 
devised  to  counteract  their  influence,  and  repair  those  wastes  in  the 
physical  constitution,  which  they  were  sure  to  make.  And  here, 
I  think,  we  may  discover  the  precise  object  and  use  of  the  tree  of 
life.  This  was  placed  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  in  a  situation 
easy  of  access,  that  it  might  be  a  perfect  and  universal  restorative  ; 
that  it  might  heal  all  maladies,  overcome  all  the  causes  of  disease 
and  decay,  and  preserve, innocent  and  happy,man  in  a  state  of  per- 
petual health,  strength  and  maturity,  until  his  trial  was  ended,  and 
he  should  be  removed  to  his  final  and  glorified  state  in  heaven. 

S. — Your  explanation  of  this  matter  is  certainl}^  reasonable,  and 
is  confirmed  by  the  name  which  was  given  to  the  tree.  It  was  the 
tree  of  life.,  importing  that  life  was  to  be  perpetuated,  and  death 
averted,  by  means  of  it. 

F. — The  same  is  further  evident  from  what  was  said  of  the  tree 
subsequent  to  the  apostasy.     Of  the  curse  pronounced  upon  fallen 


80  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

man,  temporal  death  constituted  an  important  part.  "  In  the  sweat 
of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return  unto  the  ground  ; 
for  out  of  it  wast  thou  taken ;  for  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt 
thou  returny  Of  the  infliction  here  denounced,  there  was  to  he., 
there  has  been.,  no  remission.*  The  dread  decree  has  been  rigidly 
executed,  and  will  be  to  the  end  of  time.  But  the  tree  of  life  is  in 
the  garden,  and  how  is  fallen  man  ever  to  die,  if  he  may  have  free 
access  to  it  ?  If  he  may  pluck  and  apply  its  healing  leaves,  and 
partake  of  its  life-giving,  health-restoring  fruit,  how  is  the  inexo- 
rable decree  of  temporal  dissolution  ever  to  be  executed  ?  It  cannot 
be.  Hence,  man  must  be  shut  out  from  the  tree  of  life,  or  he  will 
never  return  to  the  dust.  He  must  be  rigidly  excluded  from  it,  or 
he  will  live  forever.  Accordingly,  we  find  him  instantly  driven  out 
from  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  debarred  from  entering  it ;  and  all  for 
the  specific  reason  :  "  Lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  take  of  the 
tree  of  life.,  and  eat,  and  live  forever.'''' 

S. — A  striking  confirmation  of  the  explanation  which  you  have 
given  !     I  wonder  it  had  not  occurred  to  me  before. 

F. — The  garden  of  Eden  has  long  been  desolated,  and  the  literal 
tree  of  life  has  ceased  from  the  earth.  It  could  not  long  flourish  in 
this  infected,  doomed,  accursed  world ;  and  while  it  remained  there 
was  no  approach  to  it  for  fallen  man.  But  let  us  be  thankful  that 
there  is  another  tree  of  life,  the  apj)roaches  to  which  are  guarded  by 
no  flaming  sword ;  whose  leaf  does  not  wither ;  whose  fruit  does  not 
fail ;  which  lives,  and  flourishes,  and  blooms  forever.  It  is  planted, 
not  in  the  literal  Eden,  but  in  the  Paradise  of  God  above ;  and  the 
way  to  it  is  open  to  all  his  obedient  children :  "  Blessed  are  they 
that  do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of 
life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city." 


*With  the  exception  of  Enoch  and  Elijah. 


CONVERSATION"  IX. 

THE  ORIGINAL  SIN.— Ad.am  and  Evo  made  in  the  image  of  God.— What  we  are  to 
understand  by  that. — Their  free  moral  agency. — Duties  in  the  garden. — Tlie  death  im- 
plied for  di.sobedience. — The  serpent. — What  it  was. — Power  to  speak. — Why  the  devil 
did  not  tempt  Adam. — The  immediate  consequences  of  transgression. — The  sentence 
delayed. — The  curse  on  the  serpent. — The  curse  on  the  woman. — The  significance  of  the 
curse  on  Adam. — Entailed  sin  a  law  of  nature. 

Father. — Our  last  conversation  was  on  the  garden  of  Eden,  I 
am  now  to  speak  of  an  event  which  early  occurred  in  the  garden — 
an  event  in  which  we  all  have  a  melancholy  interest — the  fall  of 
our  first  parents. 

Son. — Our  first  parents  are  said  to  have  been  made  in  the  image 
of  God.     What  are  we  to  understand  by  this  expression  ? 

F. — That  they  were,  in  their  measure  and  faculties,  like  God. 
They  bore,  in  the  first  place,  his  natural  image.  God  is  a  spirit ; 
and  so  were  they.  God  has  intelligence,  reason,  conscience,  and 
will ;  and  so  had  they.  God  is  a  free  moral  agent ;  and  so  were 
they.  Our  first  parents  bore  also  the  moral  image  of  God.  They 
were  holy,  like  God.  Their  holiness  was  the  same, — not  in  degree, 
but  in  kind, — as  that  of  their  Maker. 

S. — "What  resulted  to  our  first  parents  from  the  fact  of  their  free, 
moral,  responsible  agency? 

F. — They  came  at  once  under  the  law  and  the  government  of  God. 
They  were  subject  to  the  great  law  of  love,  and  to  all  those  out- 
ward exemplifications  of  it  which  are  discoverable  by  the  light  of 
reason  and  nature.  They  were  subject  also  to  a  few  plain,  positive 
precepts.  They  were  to  dress  the  garden  of  Eden  and  to  keep  it. 
They  were  to  observe  the  Sabbath,  and  from  one  of  the  trees  of  the 
garden — the  tree  of  the  knowledge  between  good  and  evil — they 
were  to  abstain  entirely,  under  penalty  of  death.  "  Ye  shall  not 
eat  of  it,  neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die."  This  injunction 
seems  to  have  been  laid  upon  our  first  parents  more  especially  for 
their  trial.     They  were  on  trial  to  see  if  they  would  keej)  all  God's 


82  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


commandments,  but  more  especially  this.  This  was  a  plain,  posi- 
tive command,  the  import  of  which  they  could  not  misunderstand, 
and  the  reasons  of  which,  probably,  they  did  not  fully  comprehend  ; 
so  that  obedience  to  it  would  be  a  suitable  trial  of  their  faith^  as 
well  as  of  their  moral  strength. 

S. — And  what  was  the  death  threatened  in  case  of  disobedience  ? 

F. — As  our  first  parents  were,  at  this  time,  under  a  dispensation 
of  |)ttre  laiv,  the  death  threatened  was,  I  suppose,  the  proper  penalty 
of  the  law — the  same  which  was  inflicted  on  the  apostate  angels 
when  they  sinned  ;  in  other  words,  it  was  spiritual  and  eternal  death. 

S. — But  did  not  temporal  death  constitute  a  part  of  the  threat- 
ening ? 

F. — That  temporal  death,  though  a  sad  consequence  of  sin,  consti- 
tutes no  part  of  the  proper  penalty  of  the  Divine  law,  is  evident 
from  two  considerations ;  1.  Christ  does  not  redeem  his  people  from 
temporal  death.  He  came  to  redeem  them  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  and  he  does  redeem  them  from  it.  He  redeems  them  from 
spiritual  and  eternal  death.  But  from  temporal  dissolution  Christ 
does  not  redeem  his  people.  They  die,  in  this  sense,  as  well  as 
others, — a  fact  showing  conclusively  that  temporal  dissolution  con- 
stitutes no  part  of  the  curse  and  penalty  of  the  law.  2.  If  the 
proper  penalty  of  the  law,  involving  the  destruction  of  soul  and 
body  in  hell,  had  been  immediately  executed  upon  our  first  par- 
ents, there  had  been  no  room  for  temporal  death.  It  had  been 
entirely  precluded.  Soul  and  body, — a  changed  body,  of  course, — 
must  have  gone  to  destruction  together,  and  could  not  have  been 
separated. 

You  see  now  how  our  first  parents  were  situated  in  the  garden  of 
Eden, — intelligent  beings,  free  moral  agents,  under  a  dispensation 
of  law  which  they  had  never  transgressed,  and  on  trial  to  see 
whether  they  would  persevere  in  holiness,  and  thus  secure  everlast- 
ing life,  or  whether  they  would  transgress  the  law,  and  incur  the 
penalty  which  hung  suspended  over  them.  The  result  of  their  pro- 
bation we  too  well  know.     The  serpent  persuaded  the  woman,  and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  83 

she  persuaded  her  husband,  to  "  eat  of  that  forbidden  tree,  whose 
mortal  taste  brought  death  into  the  workl,  and  all  our  woe." 

S. — What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  serpent,  who  performed  so 
base  a  part  in  this  transaction  ? 

F. — That  he  was  an  animal  of  the  serpent  kind,  and  not  (as  some 
have  thought)  a  baboon  or  monkey,  I  have  no  doubt.  He  is  ex- 
pressly called  a  serpent  by  the  Apostle  Paul  (2  Cor.  xi.  3).  He 
probably  had  other  means  of  locomotion  Ijesides  what  serpents  now 
have, — feet,  or  wings,  or  something  of  the  kind,  of  which  he  was 
divested,  in  consequence  of  his  assault  upon  our  unsuspecting 
mother.     Still,  he  was  a  species  of  serpent. 

aS'. — And  was  he  no  more  than  a  mere  serpent  ? 

F. — Yes,  something  more.  He  displayed  an  artifice,  a  cunning,  a 
subtlety,  a  malice,  of  which  no  mere  brute  animal  was  ever  capable. 
His  body  and  faculties  were  possessed,  for  the  time,  by  that  old 
Serpent.,  the  Devil.,  the  Wicked  One.  Devils  sometimes  possess  the 
bodies  of  animals,  as  well  as  of  men.  In  the  time  of  our  Savior,  a 
legion  of  them  once  entered  into  a  herd  of  swine,  which,  in  conse- 
quence, ran  violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea,  and  were 
drowned.  That  the  devil  was  the  real  agent  in  deceiving  our  first 
mother,  and  drawing  her  into  sin,  is  evident  from  the  nature  of  the 
case  ;  and  is  implied  in  many  Scriptures.  Accordingly,  the  curse 
pronounced  upon  the  serpent  extended  farther  than  to  the  literal 
animal.  It  reached  to  that  old  Serpent,  the  devil,  and  portended 
the  victory  which  our  Savior  was  to  achieve  over  him  uj)on  the 
cross. 

S. — Do  you  suppose  that  the  serpent  did  really  speak  to  Eve  ? 
And  if  he  did,  was  not  his  speaking  a  miracle,  and  a  miracle  per- 
formed for  a  bad  purpose — for  the  purpose  of  drawing  our  first  par- 
ents into  sin  ? 

F. — I  think  the  serpent  did  literally  speak  to  the  woman.  He 
held  a  conversation  with  her.  We  must  suppose  this,  unless  we 
regard  the  whole  narrative  as  an  allegory — a  supposition  which  the 
connection,  and  many   other  Scriptures,  forbid.     Xor  is  it  certain 


84  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


that  the  speaking  of  Satan  through  the  organs  of  the  serpent  was  a 
miracle,  involving,  as  all  miracles  do,  a  direct  interposition  of  the 
power  of  God.  The  probability  is  that  Satan  was  able,  by  his  own 
natural  power,  to  speak  audibly  and  intelligibly  through  the  organs 
of  the  serpent.  He  often  spoke,  through  the  human  organs,  in  the 
time  of  Christ.  In  repeated  instances,  he  spoke  through  the  organs 
of  the  poor  frantic  demoniacs,  and  enabled  them  to  utter  truths  con- 
cerning which,  of  themselves,  they  had  no  knowledge.  But  if  Satan 
could  speak,  through  the  human  organs,  why  might  he  not  through 
the  organs  of  the  serpent  ? 

S. — My  next  inquiry  relates  to  the  possihility  that  our  first  par- 
ents, situated  as  they  were,  should  fall  into  sin.  They  were  per- 
fectly holy.  Their  propensities,  feelings  and  habits  were  all  holy. 
How  then  could  temptation  reach  such  minds  ?  How  could  it  over- 
come them  ? 

F. — Certainly,  no  good  reason  can  be  given  for  the  fall  of  our  first 
parents.  Their  act  of  transgression  was  altogether  unreasonable, 
and  without  excuse.  Still,  I  have  never  supposed  that  there  was 
anything  inexplicably  mysterious  or  unaccountable  in  the  matter. 
Their  fall,  I  think,  may  be  explained  as  well  as  many  other  wicked 
things  which  have  been  transacted  in  the  world.  Being  free  moral 
agents,  our  first  parents  must  have  had  the  suscepiihilities  appropri- 
ate to  such  agents.  They  must  have  been  susceptible  to  motive 
influences,  both  to  good  and  evil,  the  right  and  the  wrong.  Such 
susceptibilities  imply  nothing  wrong  in  the  person  possessing  them, 
but  only  that,  as  a  moral  agent,  he  is  capable  of  wrong.  Our  Savior 
must  have  had  them,  or  he  could  not  have  been  tempted  any  way. 
Our  first  parents  must  have  had  them,  else  they  could  have  had  no 
trial  at  all. 

But  our  first  parents  were  not  only  moral  agents,  and  had  the 
susceptibilities  of  moral  agents,  they  were  also  on  probation  or  trial. 
Hence  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  have  something  to  try 
them  ;  because  a  state  of  trial,  in  which  there  was  nothing  to  try 
them,  would  be  no  trial  at  all.     Being  susceptible  to  motive  influ- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  85 

ences  both  to  good  and  to  evil,  it  was  involved  in  their  very  proba- 
tion that  such  motives  should  be  actually  presented.  In  order  that 
they  might  be,  the  tempter  was  permitted  to  enter  the  garden. 
Embodied  in  the  wily  serpent,  he  approaches  the  woman,  whom  he 
finds  alone,  somewhere  near  the  forbidden  tree,  and  enters  into  con- 
versation with  her ;  "  Yea,  hath  God  said  that  ye  shall  not  eat  of 
every  tree  of  the  garden  ?  Is  God  dealing  thus  hardly  with  you  ?  Is 
he  thus  arbitrarily  interdicting  your  freedom  ?  "  And  the  woman 
said,  "We  may  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  trees  of  the  garden  ;  but  of 
the  fruit  of  this  one  tree,  which  stands  here  in  the  midst  of  the  gar- 
den, God  hath  said  that  ye  shall  not  eat  of  it,  neither  shall  ye  touch 
it,  lest  ye  die."  But  the  serpent  said  unto  the  woman,  "  Ye  shall 
not  surely  die.  No  such  evil  is  to  be  apprehended.  I  have  often 
eaten  of  it,  and  I  am  not  dead.  God,  it  seems,  is  jealous  of  you. 
He  is  arbitrarily  restricting  j^ou  to  your  hurt ;  for  he  well  knows 
that,  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  as  mine 
are,  and  ye  shall  become  as  gods,  knowing  good  and  evil." 

In  this  artful  address,  we  see  how  the  serpent  appeals  to  the  moral 
susceptibilities  of  the  woman,  and  plies  his  motive  influence  upon 
her.  First,  he  undertakes  to  shake  her  confidence  in  God,  and 
weaken  her  sense  of  obligation  to  him,  so  that  the  motives  to  disobe- 
dience may  find  little  or  no  resistance.  Then  he  flatly  lies  to  her ; 
he  blinds  and  deceives  her  as  to  the  dreaded  consequences  of  trans- 
gression. Next,  he  appeals  to  her  senses.  "  See  how  beautiful  this 
fruit  is,  and  how  delicious  to  the  taste."  He  appeals  also  to  her 
natural  curiosity,  to  her  desire  of  knowledge,  and  desire  of  happi- 
ness ; — all  of  them  powerful  principles  of  action ;  and  by  all,  he 
urges  her  to  make  the  experiment ;  assuring  her  that  it  can  do  no 
harm,  but  good  ;  that  it  will  make  her  instantly  wise  and  happy. 
And  the  confiding,  inexperienced  creature  believes  him.  He  so  j)re- 
sents  the  motives  to  transgression,  that  they  do  predominate  over  all 
opposing  good  influences,  and  she  yields.  She  puts  forth  her  hand ; 
she  takes  ;  she  eats.  The  deed  is  done ;  the  serpent's  malice  is 
satiated ;  and  he  retires  from  the  scene. 


86  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Why  does  he  not  stay,  and  ply  his  influences  upon  Adam? 

F. — He  thinks  it  quite  unnecessary.  He  leaves  Adam  in  the 
hands  of  a  more  powerful  tempter  than  himself.  Eve  soon  finds 
her  husband  ;  tells  him  what  she  has  done ;  tells  him  how  delicious 
the  fruit  is,  and  how  desirable  to  make  one  wise  ;  assures  him,  from 
her  own  experience,  that  there  is  no  fear  of  death ;  and  urges  him, 
by  all  the  regard  Avhich  he  ought  to  have  for  his  own  good,  and  by 
all  the  love  which  he  bears  to  her,  to  take  and  eat  likewise.  Nor  is 
it  so  very  strange  or  unaccountable,  that  her  persuasions  prevailed 
with  him.  For,  in  addition  to  all  the  motives  which  had  overcome 
her,  there  was  the  additional  one  of  conjugal  affection.  Adam 
could  not  be  separated  from  his  beloved  Eve.  He  preferred  to  be 
united  with  her,  though  it  were  in  transgression.  If  Eve  must  die, 
he  chose  to  die  with  her.  He  took  the  forbidden  fruit  from  her 
hands,  and  did  as  she  required. 

That  our  first  parents  acted  unreasonably  and  wickedly  in  all 
this,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  They  committed  a  great  and  dreadful 
sin  ;  but  I  see  not  that  there  was  anything  inexplicable  about  it.  I 
think  it  may  be  accounted  for,  on  philosophical  principles,  as  easily 
as  most  of  the  wickedness  which  is  perpetrated  among  men. 

*S'. — What  were  the  immediate  consequences  of  the  transgression 
to  our  first  parents  themselves  ? 

F. — Their  eyes  were  opened;  but  in  a  way  which  they  did  not 
expect.  They  were  opened  to  their  own  sin,  and  shame,  and  guilt. 
They  had  come  to  a  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  such  as  they  never 
had  before.  They  stood  guilty  and  condemned,  without  refuge  or 
hope,  expecting  the  wrath  and  curse  of  their  Creator.  They  were 
afraid  to  meet  him,  and  so  they  fled  and  hid  themselves  among  the 
trees  of  the  garden.  But  vain  is  their  attempt  to  hide  themselves 
from  God.  He  soon  finds  them,  summons  them  forth,  and  calls 
them  to  a  strict  account.  They  can  offer  no  sufficient  excuse  ;  and 
instead  of  taking  blame  to  themselves,  they  endeavor  to  shuffle  it  off 
upon  each  other.  The  man  blames  the  woman,  and  the  woman  the 
serpent. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  87 

/S'. — And  why  was  not  the  threatened  penalty  immediately  exe- 
cuted upon  them  ? 

F. — Not  because  the  sentence  of  eternal  death  was  remitted ;  for 
it  was  not  remitted.  But  the  execution  of  it  was  for  a  time  sus- 
pended., in  order  to  make  room  for  the  dispensation  of  grace.  Of  this 
dispensation,!  shall  have  more  to  say  hereafter. 

S. — The  several  curses  are  now  pronounced.  Please  explain  to 
us  the  curse  upon  the  serpent. 

F. — The  curse  upon  the  serpent  is  as  follows :  "  Because  thou 
hast  done  this  thing,  thou  art  cursed  above  all  cattle,  and  above 
every  beast  of  the  field.  Upon  thy  belly  shalt  thou  go,  and  dust 
shalt  thou  eat,  all  the  days  of  thy  life."  Thus  far,  the  curse  seems 
to  rest  upon  the  literal  serpent.  If  he  had  legs  or  wings  before, 
they  were  now  taken  from  him,  and  he  was  doomed,  henceforth,  to 
creep  upon  his  belly,  and  to  lick  the  dust.  The  remainder  of  the 
curse  upon  the  serpent  had  respect  more  particularly  to  that  old 
serpent,  the  Devil,  whose  agency  was  chiefly  concerned  in  the  temp- 
tation. "  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  and  the  woman,  and  be- 
tween thy  seed  and  her  seed.  It  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou 
shalt  bruise  his  heel."  We  have  here  the  first  dawn  of  hope  for  the 
fallen  human  pair.  The  language  carries  with  it  an  assurance  that 
they  were  not  to  be  destroyed  immediately ;  that  they  should  live 
to  have  a  seed ;  and  that  a  descendant  of  Eve  should  utterly  van- 
quish the  old  serpent,  and  put  an  end  to  his  usurped  dominion  over 
man.  All  this,  I  hardly  need  say,  was  fulfilled  in  the  great  seed  of 
the  woman — the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Satan  bruised  his  heel,  wdien 
he  brought  him  to  the  cross;  but  he,  by  dying  on  the  cross,  van- 
quished Satan,  and  defeated  all  his  diabolical  designs.  "  Through 
death,  he  destroyed  him  which  had  the  power  of  death,  that  is,  the 
Devil." 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  as  to  the  curse  upon  the  w^oman  ? 

F. — The  curse  of  the  woman  has  rested  heavily  upon  the  daugh- 
ters of  Eve,  from  that  time  to  the  present.  In  sorrow^  and  pain  has 
she  brought  forth  her  children.     Her  desire  has  been  unto  her  hus- 


88  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

band,  and  he  has  ruled  over  her.  The  degradation  of  woman,  and 
her  sufferings  from  the  other  sex,  more  especially  in  those  parts  of 
the'  world  not  blessed  with  the  light  of  revealed  truth,  have  been 
dreadful.  She  has  not  been  punished /or  the  sin  of  her  first  mother, 
but  her  sufferings  in  consequence  of  it  have  been  long  and  terrible. 

*S'. — The  curse  upon  Adam  is  still  more  significant.  Please  give 
us  an  explanation  of  that. 

F. — The  curse  upon  the  man  includes  two  things :  1.  A  curse 
upon  the  ground,  involving  the  necessity  of  hard  and  wasting  labor 
on  his  part,  in  order  to  procure  a  subsistence  from  it.  2.  Temporal 
dissolution  or  death.  "  And  unto  Adam  God  said.  Cursed  is  the 
ground  for  thy  sake  ;  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of 
thy  life.  Thorns  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  unto  thee,  and 
thou  shalt  eat  the  herb  of  the  field.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt 
thou  eat  bread,  until  thou  return  unto  the  ground  ;  for  out  of  it 
wast  thou  taken.  For  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou 
return."  The  curse  upon  the  ground  involved  some  change  in  re- 
gard to  its  natural  productions.  What  this  was,  and  how  it  was 
produced,  we  cannot  tell.  As  much  as  this,  however,  may  be  said, 
that  whereas  the  spontaneous  productions  of  the  earth  before  the 
fall  were  nutritious  and  useful,  so  that  a  sustenance  was  easily  pro- 
cured, the  case  was  very  different  afterwards.  Then  the  ground 
brought  forth  spontaneously  the  thorn  and  the  thistle,  the  noxious 
weed  and  herb ;  while  those  productions  most  necessary  for  the  sus- 
tenance and  use  of  man  could  be  procured  only  by  toil  and  labor. 
Certainly,  we  find  this  to  be  true  now  ;  and  all  the  generations  of 
men  from  Adam  downward  have  found  the  same.  Such  an  order 
of  things  we  have  reason  to  know  was  entailed  upon  us  in  conse- 
quence of  sin. 

I  have  said  that  a  part  of  the  curse  upon  man  was  temporal  disso- 
lution. In  the  verses  above  read,  we  have  the  first  mention  of  tem- 
poral death  which  occurs  in  the  Bible.  The  death  threatened  to 
Adam  in  case  he  transgressed,  I  have  shown,  was  not  temporal  death. 
It  was  the  proper  sentence  of  the  law,  which  is  eternal  death.     The 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  89 

execution  of  this  penalty,  I  have  said,  was  for  a  time  suspended,  in 
order  to  make  room  for  the  dispensation  of  grace.  This  dispensa- 
tion had  now  been  revealed  and  entered  upon.  A  seed  of  the 
woman  had  been  promised,  who  should  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 
Fallen  man  may  be  saved,  if  he  will  believe  and  trust  in  the  prom- 
ised Savior.  If  he  accedes  to  the  kind  offer  of  life  in  time,  the  in- 
curred penalty  of  the  law  is  not  only  suspended,  but  remitted.  The 
transgressor  is  forgiven,  and  received  back  into  the  favor  and  the 
love  of  God.  But  if  the  gracious  offer  is  not  accepted  in  time,  if  it 
is  neglected  and  rejected ;  then  the  suspended  penalty  comes  down 
upon  the  head  of  the  transgressor  with  new  aggravations.  He  has 
now  not  only  broken  the  law,  but  he  has  trodden  under  foot  the  Son 
of  God. 

Upon  such  a  probation  as  this  were  Adam  and  Eve  placed,  imme- 
diately upon  the  promise  of  a  Savior.  Upon  just  such  a  probation 
are  we  all  placed,  during  the  continuance  of  the  present  life.  Of 
this  new  probation  of  grace  temporal  death  is  the  proper  termina- 
tion. When  God  has  waited  to  be  gracious  long  enough,  and  can 
consistently  wait  no  longer,  he  breaks  the  brittle  thread  of  life,  and 
turns  the  body  back  to  the  dust  from  which  it  was  taken.  This, 
then,  is  the  proper  significance  of  temporal  death — to  terminate  the 
probation  of  fallen  man,  and  settle  the  question,  whether  he  is  to 
rise  or  sink,  be  happy  or  miserable  forever.  Though  not  the  proper 
penalty  of  the  law,  it  is  a  fruit  and  consequence  of  sin  ;  but  such  a 
consequence  as  can  be  realized  only  under  a  dispensation  of  grace. 
Hence,  it  was  not  until  the  dispensation  of  grace  had  been  opened, 
and  a  Savior  had  been  promised,  that  we  first  hear  of  temporal  death 
in  the  Bible. 

S. — It  seems  that  the  curses  upon  our  first  parents  were  not 
limited  to  them  personally,  but  descend,  consequentially,  to  their 
posterity. 

F. — Yes  ;  the  ground  brought  forth  the  thorn  and  thistle  to 
Adam  ;  and  so  it  has  done  to  all  his  descendants.  He  ate  his  bread 
in  the  sweat  of  his  face  ;  and  so  have  thej'.     He  was  doomed  to  end 


90  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

his  probation  in  the  dust,  and  so  are  they.  The  curse  of  Eve,  too, 
has  descended  to  all  her  daughters.  Like  their  first  mother,  they 
have  brought  forth  their  offspring  in  sorrow  and  pain. 

S. — Are  we  not  sinners  also  in  consequence  of  Adam's  sin  ? 

F. — I  suppose  we  are.  That  there  is  a  consequential  connection 
between  our  sin  and  that  of  our  first  parents  is  clearly  set  forth  in 
the  Scriptures,  and  is  admitted  by  all  evangelical  Christians.  Re- 
specting the  nature  of  this  connection,  and  the  manner  of  it,  there 
have  been  various  opinions ;  but  the  fact  is  universally  admitted. 
Adam  was,  in  a  higher  sense  than  any  other  individual  that  ever 
lived,  a  representative  man.  He  represented  the  human  race.  In 
fact,  he  and  his  wife, at  that  time, constituted  the  human  race.  They 
constituted  it  all.  There  were  no  others.  In  many  respects,  they 
acted,  not  only  for  themselves,  but  for  the  race.  What  was  said  to 
them  was  said,  through  them,  to  the  race.  What  was  done  for  them 
was  done,  in  like  manner,  for  the  race.  When  Adam  sinned,  he 
fell  at  once  into  a  state  of  spiritual  depravity,  corruption  and  death. 
His  heart,  his  affections  and  actions  were  all  sinful.  In  this  state, 
he  begat  children  in  his  own  image  and  likeness.  They  were  like 
him  in  nature,  and  as  soon  as  they  began  to  act,  they  were  like  him 
in  character.  They  were  actual  transgressors,  sinners  against  God, 
and  must  be  saved  by  the  promised  seed  of  the  woman,  or  be  lost 
forever. 

/S. — Is  there  not  an  important  natural  law — a  law  of  7iature,  ac- 
cording to  which  all  this  comes  to  pass  ? 

F. — I  think  there  is.  The  great  law  of  likeness  runs  through  all 
the  works  of  God.  Every  seed  in  the  vegetable  world  produces  its 
like.  Every  animal  which  is  capable  of  ^propagation  produces  its 
like.  And  this  law  of  universal  likeness  is  a  good  law.  What  un- 
speakable confusion  and  misery  would  ensue,  should  it  be  abro- 
gated ? 

In  accordance  with  this  general  law,  Adam  begat  a  son  in  his 
own  sinful  likeness  ;  and  that  son  begat  others  ;  and  these  others  ; 
and  so  on  to  the  present  time.     This  order  of  things  could  not  have 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  91 

been  changed  without  a  miracle,  and  such  a  miracle  God  has  never 
been  pleased  to  perform. 

You  see,  then,  that  we  are  all  sinners  in  consequence  of  the  sin  of 
our  first  progenitors.  You  see,  too,  how  this  has  come  to  pass.  It 
has  come  by  the  operation  of  a  great,  a  general,  and  a  most  benevo- 
lent law — a  law  which  could  not  be  set  aside  but  by  miracle,  and  a 
kind  of  miracle  which  God  was  not  pleased  to  perform.  And  now, 
instead  of  murmuring  and  complaining  that  "  by  one  man's  disobe- 
dience many  were  made  sinners,"  let  us  rather  repent  of  our  sins, 
and  forsake  them,  and  put  our  trust  in  that  Divine  seed  of  the 
woman,  Avho  has  come  and  crushed  the  serpent's  head. 


CONVERSATION  X. 

CAIN  AND  ABEL. — Their  birth. — Were  they  savages. — Eeligion. — Institution  of  the 
bloody  sacrifice. — Ordained  by  God. — God's  reason  for  not  accepting  the  offering  of 
Cain. — Cain's  anger. — Murder  of  Abel. — The  result. — Wives  of  Cain  and  Abel. — People 
to  whom  Cain  fled. — Cain's  posterity. — Abel's  descendants. — The  family  of  Adam  and 
Eve. — Progress  of  population. — Object  of  Enoch's  translation. — Extended  lives  of  the 
antediluvians. 

Father'. — Shortly  after  the  expulsion  of  our  first  parents  from  the 
garden  of  Eden,  we  are  told  that  "  Adam  knew  his  wife,  and  she 
conceived,  and  bare  Cain."  In  the  joy  of  deliverance,  she  said,  "  I 
have  gotten  a  man  from  the  Lord  ;  "  or  more  literally  rendered,  "  I 
have  gotten  a  man,  the  Lord ;  "  thinking  him,  perhaps,  to  be  the 
promised  Seed,  which  was  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head.  "  And  she 
conceived  again,  and  bare  his  brother  Abel." 

Son. — How  early  were  these  sons  born  to  our  first  parents  ? 

F. — The  birth  of  Cain  is  supposed  to  have  occurred  in  the  first 
year  after  the  apostasy ;  the  birth  of  Abel  took  place,  perhaps,  in 
the  following  year.  The  brothers  grew  up  together ;  but  their 
occupations  were  different.  "  Abel  was  a  keeper  of  sheep  ;  but 
Cain  was  a  tiller  of  the  ground." 

aS'. — Does  not  this  statement  contradict  the  suppositions  of  natu- 
ralists and  infidels,  that  human  beings  were,  at  the  first,  savages  ? 

F. — It  certainly  does.  Savages  are  not  farmers  or  shepherds. 
They  follow  the  chase,  and  subsist  chiefly  on  the  spontaneous  pro- 
ductions of  the  earth.  These  infidel  notions  are  also  refuted  by 
late  discoveries  in  philology.  Professor  Wilson  is  engaged  in  trac- 
ing back  words  to  their  remotest  origin  ;  and  he  finds,  from  these, 
that  in  their  first  use  of  names  and  words,  men  were  not  savages, 
but  were  in  a  partially  civilized  state.  The  words  they  used,  the 
names  they  employed,  prove  this  conclusively.* 

S. — What  do  we  learn,  from  the  brief  notices  given  in  Genesis, 
as  to  the  relig^ion  of  Cain  and  Abel  ? 


*See  Wilson's  Lectures  on  Language,  p.  207. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  93 

F. — They  had  a  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  were  his  pro- 
fessed worshipers.  God  had  revealed  himself  to  them,  and  in- 
structed them  as  to  the  manner  of  his  worship ;  and  at  stated 
seasons,  they  brought  their  offerings  unto  the  Lord.  And  we  are 
told  what  they  brought.  "  Cain  brought  the  fruit  of  the  ground  ; 
but  Abel  brought  the  firstlings  of  his  flock,  and  the  fat  thereof." 
In  other  words,  he  brought  a  bloody  sacrifice.  This  early  institu- 
tion of  bloody  sacrifices  shows  that  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  world 
had  other  and  clearer  intimations  of  God's  plan  of  mercy  than  is 
commonly  supposed.  They  had  not  only  the  original  promise  in 
regard  to  the  seed  of  the  woman,  but  bloody  sacrifices  were  imme- 
diately instituted,  pointing  typically  to  the  blood  of  the  cross,  and 
inviting  the  worshiper  to  make  that  blood  his  trust. 

S. — Is  it  certain  that  bloody  sacrifices  are  not  of  human  inven- 
tion ? 

F. — How  could  they  be  ?  How  should  man  ever  have  thought 
of  propitiating  the  Deity,  by  slaying  and  burning  an  innocent  lamb, 
and  sprinkling  the  altar  with  its  blood,  unless  he  had  been  so  taught 
by  God  himself?  And  why  should  God  have  prescribed  such  a 
form  of  worship,  except  on  the  ground  of  its  tjqiical  significance — 
except  as  it  shadowed  forth,  and  was  designed  to  shadow  forth — 
the  bloody  sacrifice  of  the  cross  ?  We  have  therefore,  as  I  said,  in 
the  primeval  institution  of  bloody  sacrifices,  a  clear  intimation  that 
the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ  was  early  opened  to  our  first  parents 
and  their  descendants,  and  that  they  were  invited  to  put  their  trust 
in  him,  and  live  forever. 

S. — When,  at  the  time  appointed,  Cain  and  Abel  brought  their 
offerings  unto  the  Lord,  why  did  he  not  accept  the  offering  of  Cain, 
as  well  as  that  of  Abel  ? 

F. — Two  reasons  may  be  assigned  why  God  did  not  accept  the 
offering  of  Cain.  The  first  is,  that  it  was  not  presented  in  faith. 
"  I^y  faith  Abel  offered  nnto  God  a  more  acceptable  offering  than 
Cain"  (Heb.  xi.  4).  The  language  here  implies  that  the  offering  of 
Cain  was  not  presented  in  faith ;  and  "  without  faith,  it  is  impossi- 


94  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

ble  to  please  God,"  or  to  be  accejitecl  of  him.  Then,  secondly, 
Cain's  offering  was  not  presented  in  the  appoiiited  loay ;  God  had 
instituted  a  bloody  sacrifice — the  slaying  of  the  victim,  and  the 
sprinkling  of  the  altar  with  its  blood.  But  Cain,  either  from  pride, 
self-will,  or  some  other  cause,  refused  to  offer  such  a  sacrifice.  Per- 
haps he  had  no  lamb  of  his  own,  and  did  not  like  to  procure  one  of 
his  brother  Abel.  He  could  not  see  why  an  offering  of  corn,  or  fine 
flour,  or  fruits,  would  not  do  as  well.  At  any  rate,  he  would  make 
the  experiment.  Cain  was  a  rationalist  in  religion,  and  a  fitting 
type  of  others  of  the  same  class.  Abel  presented  his  offering  in 
faith,  and  in  the  appointed  way,  and  it  was  accepted.  Cain  pre- 
sented his  without  faith,  in  his  own  way,  and  it  was  rejected. 

aS'. — How  was  Cain  affected  by  the  rejection  of  his  offering  ? 

i^.  He  was  angry  with  God,  and  angry  with  his  innocent 
brother.  Therefore,  God  condescended  to  reason  with  him.  "  Why 
art  thou  wroth  ?  And  Avhy  is  thy  countenance  fallen  ?  If  thou  doest 
well,  shalt  thou  not  be  accepted?  And  if  thou  doest  not  well, 
sin" — a  sin  offering — "lieth  at  the  door."  Still  Cain  was  not 
satisfied.  His  envy  and  anger  burned  against  his  brother  ;  and  as 
they  walked  together  in  the  field,  he  violently  assaulted  him,  and 
slew  him. 

8. — At  what  time  did  the  murder  of  Abel  take  place  ? 

T. — Probably  in  about  the  130th  j^ear  of  the  world.  We  infer 
this  from  the  fact  that  Seth,  who  is  said  to  have  been  given  in  place 
of  Abel,  and  was  given,  probably,  soon  after  Abel's  death,  was  born 
when  Adam  Avas  one  hundred  and  thirty  years  old. 

S. — What  notice  was  taken  of  this  tragical  event, — the  first 
human  blood  that  had  ever  been  shed,  and,  so  far  as  we  know,  the 
first  instance  of  mortality  which  had  occurred  among  men  ? 

jP. — God  soon  arraigned  the  murderer,  and  pronounced  upon  him 
a  terrible  doom.  "  What  hast  thou  done?  The  voice  of  thy  broth- 
er's blood  crieth  unto  me  from  the  ground.  And  now  art  thou 
cursed  from  the  earth  which  hath  opened  her  mouth  to  receive  thy 
brother's  blood.     When  thou  tillest  thy  ground,  it  shall  not  hence- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  95 

forth  yield  unto  thee  her  strength.  A  fugitive  and  a  vagabond 
shalt  thou  be  in  the  earth." 

S. — What  further  do  we  hear  of  Cain  ? 

F. — Trembling  and  afraid,  with  a  murderer's  mark  and  curse 
upon  hira,  Cain  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  dwelt 
on  the  east  of  Eden,  in  the  land  of  Xod.  How  long  he  lived  after 
this  we  are  not  informed.  We  know  that  he  builded  a  city,  and 
called  it  after  the  name  of  one  of  his  sons.  Moses  gives  us  the 
names  of  Cain's  descendants  to  the  seventh  generation,  reaching 
down  almost  to  the  time  of  the  flood. 

^S'. — What  was  the  character  of  the  Cainites  ? 

F. — They  seem  to  have  been  distinguished  for  their  ungodliness. 
They  lived  much  by  themselves  for  a  long  time ;  and  when  they 
came,  at  length,  to  have  intercourse  with  the  other  descendants  of 
Adam,  they  were  a  means  of  corrupting  them.  "  When  the  sons  of 
God  saw  the  daughters  of  men  that  they  were  fair,  they  took  them 
wives  of  all  that  they  chose."  These  daughters  of  men  are  supposed 
to  have  been  Cainites.  At  any  rate,  they  were  wicked  women,  as 
vile  as  the}^  were  beautiful,  with  whom  the  professed  sons  of  God 
should  have  had  nothing  to  do.  The  result  of  the  union  was,  giants 
in  stature,  and  giants  in  wickedness,  who  filled  the  earth  with  vio- 
lence, and  provoked  the  Almighty  to  come  out  in  wrath  against  it 
and  destroy  it. 

S. — What  more  can  be  said  of  "  righteous  Abel  ?  " 

F. — Having  lived  more  than  a  hundred  years — long  enough  to 
have  a  numerous  posterity,  though  we  hear  nothing  of  them, — he 
was  smitten  down  by  a  brother's  hand,  in  the  dreadful  manner 
above  related.  He  was  taken  from  the  earth,  and  received  up  to 
heaven, — the  first  that  ever  went  there  through  a  Redeemer's  blood. 
And  I  often  reflect  on  the  peculiarity  of  Abel's  condition  when  he 
first  appeared  in  heaven,  and  of  the  wonder  and  joy  which  his  pres- 
ence must  have  awakened.  Up  to  this  time,  heaven  had  been  in- 
habited only  by  angelic  beings, — those  Avho  had  kept  their  first 
estate,  and  had  never  forfeited  their  Maker's  love.     Their  founda- 


96  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tion  was  that  of  a  perfectly  observed  and  honored  laAV  ;  and  their 
praises  were  only  those  of  creative  wisdom,  goodness,  and  power. 
"  Thon  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honor, and  power; 
for  thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and 
were  created."  But  now  there  is  a  wonder  in  heaven.  The  first  of 
a  new  race  of  beings  has  made  his  appearance  there  ;  once  of  the 
earth,  earthy,  but  now  a  pure  and  glorified  spirit ;  once  a  trans- 
gressor, under  the  curse  of  a  broken  law,  but  now  recovered,  re- 
deemed, sanctified,  and  received  into  the  holy  family  of  God  ;  once 
a  rebel,  odious  and  defiled,  but  he  has  washed  his  polluted  robe,  and 
made  it  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

S. — Was  this  the  first,  do  you  think,  that  the  angels  knew  of  re- 
deeming mercy  ? 

F. — They  must  have  heard  something  before  of  the  plan  of  re- 
demption ;  for  it  had  been  unfolded  in  heaven,  as  well  as  on  earth. 
But  now  they  are  permitted  to  see  the  first  fruits  of  it — the  incipient 
travail  of  the  Savior's  soul.  The  new-comer,  they  perceive,  is  alto- 
gether a  being  by  himself.  He  has  views  and  feelings,  he  occupies 
a  position  and  sings  a  song,  of  which  angels  neither  have,  nor  can 
have,  experimental  knowledge.  He  knows  what  it  is  to  sorrow  for 
sin,  and  to  offer  up  the  sacrifice  of  a  penitent  and'broken  heart.  He 
knows  what  it  is  to  renounce  entirely  his  own  righteousness,  and 
put  all  his  trust  in  the  sacrifice  of  Christ.  He  knows  what  it  is  to 
be  regenerated  by  the  Spirit,  to  be  freely  pardoned  for  Jesus'  sake, 
and  to  be  justified  through  his  blood.  And  being  thus  justified, 
righteous  Abel  can  sing  a  song  in  heaven,  which  had  never  been 
heard  there  before — a  song  which  angels  and  archangels  can  never 
learn.  It  is  the  song  of  redeeming  mercy.  "  Unto  him  who  hath 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  be  all  the 
glory  of  our  salvation." 

Being  thus  situated  in  heaven,  it  mattered  little  to  righteous  Abel 
that  his  mangled  body  was  rotting  in  the  earth,  and  that  his  blood 
was  crying  to  God  from  the  ground  for  vengeance.  He  had  risen 
above  all  that,  had  triumphed  over  his  last  enemy,  had  gone  to  his 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  97 

eternal  rest.  And  there  we  leave  him,  till  we  meet  him  above,  and 
hear  him  tell,  better  than  we  can  now  conceive  or  describe,  what 
were  his  feelings  when  he  first  waked  up  in  heaven,  and  found  him- 
self the  only  member  there  of  Christ's  redeemed  family — the  only 
trophy  of  a  Savior's  blood. 

S. — Before  dismissing  the  subject  of  Cain  and  Abel,  I  have  a  few 
more  questions  to  ask.  Were  they  married  before  the  murder ;  and 
if  so,  whom  did  they  marry  ?    And  did  they  have  families  ? 

F. — Whether  Abel  was  married  and  had  children,  we  are  not  in- 
formed. He  lived  long  enough  to  have  a  somewhat  numerous  pos- 
terity, and  the  probability  is  that  he  had  one.  Persons  who  live  to 
the  age  of  a  hundred  years  in  our  day,  sometimes  leave  as  many  as 
five  hundred  descendants.  Old  Thomas  Fuller  tells  us  of  a  woman 
in  England,  Lady  Hester  Temple  of  Buckinghamshire,  who  left 
seven  hundred  descendants  at  her  death.*  Supposing  Abel  to  have 
lived  to  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  thirty,  or  nearly,  he  may  have 
left  more  than  this,  by  a  whole  generation. 

That  Cain  had  a  wife  and  children,  we  do  know,  and  if  the  ques- 
tion be  asked,  Whom  did  he  marry  ?  I  answer,  a  sister,  a  niece,  or 
some  near  relative,  undoubtedly.  That  Adam  and  Eve  had  sons 
and  daughters  besides  those  whose  names  are  mentioned  in  the 
Bible,  is  certain.  How  many  they  had,  we  are  not  informed,  though 
the  probability  is  that  they  were  pretty  numerous.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-five,  Cain  may  have  married  a  sister ;  at  the  age  of  fifty,  he 
may  have  married  a  niece.  At  any  rate,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  ■ 
finding  him  a  wife,  without  resorting  to  the  unscriptural  supposition 
of  another  race  of  human  beings  on  the  earth,  distinct  from  the 
family  of  Adam. 

*S'. — A  kindred  question  to  those  you  have  answered  relates  to 
the  sayings  and  doings  of  Cain  subsequent  to  the  murder.  "  I  shall 
be  a  fugitive  and  vagabond  in  the  earth,  and  every  one  that  findeth 
me  shall  slay  me.  And  Cain  went  out  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  and  dwelt  in  the  east  of  Eden,  in  the  land  of  Nod.     And  he 

*Worthies  of  England,  vol.  i.,  p.  210. 
7 


98  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


builded  a  city,  and  called  the  name  of  it  after  the  name  of  his  son, 
Enoch."  This  language  implies  that  the  people  were  somewhat 
numerous  in  the  vicinity  of  Cain's  residence  ;  else  he  would  not 
have  feared  that  every  one  finding  him  should  seek  to  kill  him. 
And  then  his  building  a  city  implies  that  his  own  posterity  was 
somewhat  numerous.  He  surely  would  not  have  builded  a  city  only 
for  himself  and  wife,  and  his  son  Enoch. 

F. — The  whole  difticulty  here,  if  there  be  any,  arises  from  the 
supposition  that  the  entire  posterity  of  Adam,  at  the  time  of  Abel's 
death,  amounted  to  only  a  few  persons  ;  whereas,  in  all  probability, 
it  amounted  to  thousands.  Adam  and  Eve  were  created,  not  in- 
fants, but  in  the  maturity  of  their  powers,  and  became  parents,  it  is 
thought,  within  a  year  of  their  creation.  Abel  was  born,  perhaps, 
the  next  year.  We  hear  nothing  more  of  their  children  for  the 
next  hundred  years,  only  that  they  begat  sons  and  daughters. 
They  may  have  had  fifty  children  older  than  Seth.  Meanwhile,  by 
the  twenty-fifth  year  from  the  creation,  they  may  have  had  grand- 
children ;  and  by  the  fiftieth  year,  great-grandchildren ;  and  before 
the  hundred  and  thirtieth  year,  when  Abel  is  supposed  to  have 
been  killed,  they  may  have  had  many  of  the  sixth  or  seventh  gener- 
ation. Any  one  can  make  estimate  as  to  the  probable  number  of 
their  descendants.  In  my  own  opinion,  they  could  hardly  have 
been  less  than  a  hundred  thousand  souls, — enough,  surely,  to  im- 
press Cain  with  some  fear,  as  to  his  own  personal  safety ;  especially, 
-if  it  be  considered  that  some  hundreds  of  these  may  have  been  the 
descendants  of  Abel,  who  would  not  forget  the  fate  of  their  ances- 
tor, and  would  be  inclined  to  avenge  it.  The  whole  account  is  nat- 
in-al  and  probable,  on  the  supposition  that  Adam  and  Eve  were  the 
parents  of  all  the  living. 

S. — The  most  prominent  recorded  event  between  Seth  and  Noah 
is  the  translation  of  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam  in  the  line  of 
Seth.     What  have  you  to  say  of  Enoch  ? 

F. — Although  he  lived  in  a  corrupt  and  degenerate  age,  Enoch 
was  an  eminently  holy  man.     He  walked  with  God.     He  loved  God 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  99 

and  served  him  ;  he  confided  in  him,  and  had  habitual  and  intimate 
communion  with  him  ;  and  in  consequence  of  this,  he  "  was  trans- 
lated that  he  should  not  see  death  "  (Heb.  xi.  5). 

aS'. — What  was  the  probable  object  of  Enoch's  translation  ? 

F. — The  great  ends  to  be  answered  by  it,  I  think,  were  two.  1. 
It  was  a  visible  token  of  the  Divine  approbation — a  public  reward 
of  the  patriarch's  fidelity.  2.  It  was  designed  and  calculated  to 
impress  upon  a  thoughtless  world  the  doctrine  of  immortality — a 
glorious  immortality  for  the  righteous.  Where  did  those  wicked 
antediluvians  think  that  Enoch  was  gone  ?  What  had  become  of 
him  ?  He  did  not  die  like  other  men  ;  nor  did  he  live  any  longer 
on  the  earth.  Where  then  was  he?  To  Avhat  other  conclusion 
could  the  men  of  that  age  come,  than  that  he  had  passed  into  an- 
other world — had  been  taken  directly  from  earth  to  heaven  ?  The 
event  was  calculated  to  teach  them,  and  impress  upon  them,  that 
there  is  another  world — a  world  of  joy  and  glory  to  the  righteous. 

*S'. — Do  we  hear  anything  of  Enoch,  after  his  translation  ? 

F. — The  Apostle  Jude  has  preserved  a  memorable  prediction 
which  he  is  said  to  have  uttered :  "  Behold  the  Lord  cometh  with 
ten  thousands  of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment  upon  all,  and  to 
convince  all  that  are  ungodly  among  them  of  all  their  ungodly  deeds 
which  they  have  ungodly  committed,  and  of  all  their  hard  speeches 
which  ungodly  sinners  have  uttered  against  him." 

S. — How  did  Jude  come  in  possession  of  this  fragment  of  antedi- 
luvian prophecy  ? 

F. — It  matters  not  how.  He  may  have  received  it  by  tradition, 
or  direct  revelation,  or  he  may  have  quoted  it  from  some  apocry- 
phal book.  In  any  case,  his  inspiration  is  a  sufficient  guaranty  of 
its  genuineness  and  truth.  I  regard  the  passage  as  a  prediction, 
primarily,  of  the  deluge,  which  may  have  been  delivered  to  Enoch 
even  sooner  than  it  was  to  Noah.  Living  in  those  times  of  violence 
and  wickedness,  and  having  his  righteous  soul  vexed  with  the  horri- 
ble deeds  and  blasphemies  which  he  witnessed  around  him,  it  was 
revealed  to  this  holy  man  that  the  Lord  was  about  to  come  and 


100  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

avenge  himself  of  his  adversaries.  He  was  about  to  come  with  a 
retinue  of  holy  ones,  "  to  execute  judgment  upon  all,  and  to  con- 
vince all  that  were  ungodly  among  them  of  their  ungodly  deeds." 
Primarily^  I  think  we  have  here  a  prediction  of  the  approaching 
deluge,  when  the  earth  was  to  be  destroyed  by  water;  but  ulti- 
mately^ we  have  a  prediction  of  the  final  judgment,  when  the  world 
is  to  be  destroyed  by  fire. 

S. — I  have  but  another  question.  What  do  you  think  of  the  pro- 
longed lives  of  the  antediluvians  ?  Is  it  credible  that  they  lived,  or 
that  some  of  them  did,  almost  a  thousand  years  ? 

F. — I  think  it  is  perfectly  credible.  The  record  is  unimpeachable, 
and  is  the  same  now  that  it  was  in  ancient  times.  The  Sej)tuagint 
translation  was  made  some  two  or  three  hundred  years  before 
Christ.  There  are  some  differences  between  this  and  the  Hebrew, 
but  in  both,  the  ages  of  the  patriarchs  are  the  same.  God  was  able 
to  preserve  the  lives  of  the  first  inhabitants  of  the  earth  to  any  ex- 
tent he  pleased.  Perhaps  the  human  constitution  was  more  vigor- 
ous at  that  early  period,  ere  it  had  been  corrupted  by  coming 
through  long  and  sinful  generations.  Or  God  may  have  intended 
to  show,  by  actual  experiment,  that  no  length  of  probation  would 
ever  recover  the  soul  from  sin.  The  experiment  then  made  actually 
proves  as  much  as  this,  and  it  is  an  important  lesson  to  be  pondered 
by  all  men. 


CONVERSATION  XI. 

THE  DELUGE. — When  it  occurred. — Bible  prerlictions. — Preparations. — Local  or  Uni- 
versal in  extent. — Evidences  of  its  universality. — Traditions  of  ancient  nations. — Science 
confuting  old  theories. — No  positive  traces  of  the  Noachian  deluge  known. — Previous 
deluges. — Their  universality. — Where  did  the  water  come  from. — Population  of  the 
Earth. — More  numerous  tlian  since. — Evidences  of  this  theory. — State  of  Art. — Capacity 
of  the  Ark. — What  was  preserved. — The  resting  place  of  the  Ark. — Antiquity  of 
Chinese,  Egyptians,  etc. — Moral  te.achings. 

Father. — We  come  now  to  speak  of  the  most  remarkable  event  in 
the  natural  history  of  our  world :  I  mean  the  deluge,  in  the  time  of 
Noah.  This  occurred,  according  to  the  received  chronology,  in  the 
year  of  the  world,  1656.  We  have  a  prediction  of  it  in  the  sixth 
chapter  of  Genesis  :  "  Behold  I,  even  I,  do  bring  a  flood  of  waters 
upon  the  earth  to  destroy  all  flesh  wherein  is  the  breath  of  life,  from 
under  heaven,  and  everything  that  is  in  the  earth  shall  die."  We 
have  an  account  of  the  fulfillment  of  this  terrible  prediction,  in  the 
following  chapter :  "  In  the  six  hundredth  year  of  Noah's  life,  in  the 
seventh  month,  and  seventeenth  day  of  the  month,  the  same  day 
were  all  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  broken  up,  and  the  windows 
of  heaven  were  opened ;  and  the  rain  was  upon  the  earth  forty  days 
and  forty  nights.  And  the  waters  increased,  and  bear  uj)  the  ark, 
and  it  was  lifted  up  above  the  earth.  And  the  waters  prevailed  and 
were  increased  greatly  upon  the  earth ;  and  the  ark  went  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters ;  and  all  the  high  hills  that  were  under  the  whole 
heaven  were  covered.  Fifteen  cubits  upward  did  the  waters  pre- 
vail, and  the  mountains  were  covered.  And  all  flesh  died  that 
moved  upon  the  earth,  both  of  fowl, and  of  cattle,  and  of  beasts,  and 
of  every  creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth,  and  every 
man.  And  Noah  alone  remained  alive,  and  they  that  were  with 
liim  in  the  ark.  And  the  waters  prevailed  upon  the  earth  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  days." 

S. — Have  we  references  to  this  great  event  in  other  parts  of  the 
Bible." 


102  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — Yes,  frequently.  There  is  a  clear  reference  to  it  in  Job — a 
book  belonging  to  the  patriarchal  age,  and  perhaps  the  oldest  writ- 
ing now  in  the  world.  "  Hast  thou  marked  the  old  way  which 
wicked  men  have  trodden,  which  were  cut  down  out  of  time,  whose 
foundation  was  overflown  with  a  flood?"  (Job  xxii.  15,  16.) 

Our  Savior  refers  to  the  destruction  of  the  ungodly  in  the  days 
of  Noah,  and  by  it  illustrates  the  more  terrible  destruction  which 
shall  come  upon  the  wicked  in  the  last  great  day :  "As  were  the 
days  of  Noah,  so  also  shall  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be.  For 
as,  in  the  days  that  were  before  the  flood,  they  were  eating  and 
drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noah 
entered  into  the  ark,  and  knew  not  until  the  flood  came,  and  took 
them  all  away ;  so  also  shall  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be  " 
(Matt.  xxiv.  38).  This  event  is  also  referred  to  by  the  Apostle 
Peter,  in  predicting  the  final  and  general  conflagration :  "  By  the 
word  of  the  Lord  the  heavens  were  of  old,  and  the  earth  standing 
out  of  the  water,  and  in  the  water ;  whereby  the  world  that  then 
was,  being  overflowed  with  water,  perished.  But  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  which  are  now,  by  the  same  word  are  kept  in  store,  re- 
served unto  fire  against  the  day  of  judgment,  and  perdition  of 
ungodly  men"  (2  Pet.  iii.  5-7).  The  ScrijDtures  here  quoted  show, 
that  the  fact  of  the  deluge  does  not  rest  merely  on  the  account  in 
Genesis.  It  appears  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible, — in  the  teachings 
of  our  Savior  and  his  Apostles.  It  is  an  integral  part  of  the  sacred 
history,  and  can  never  be  set  aside  so  long  as  the  Bible  is  retained. 

S. — Please  give  us  more  particulars  as  to  the  coming  on  of  the 
flood,  and  the  preparation  that  was  made  for  it. 

F. — It  was  in  the  five  hundredth  year  of  Noah  that  he  was  first  in- 
formed of  the  coming  flood,  and  warned  to  prepare  an  ark  for  the 
saving  of  his  house.  A  hundred  years  were  now  granted  him  for 
the  building  of  the  ark, — all  which  time  he  was  preaching,  denounc- 
ing the  approaching  judgment,  and  calling  in  vain  upon  a  thought- 
less world  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Meanwhile,  all  the 
venerable   patriarchs,  whose  names  occur  in   the  fifth  chapter  of 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  103 

Genesis  had  passed  away.  Methuselah,  the  grandfather  of  Noah, 
Avas  the  hist.  He  died  in  the  first  month  of  the  patriarchal  year, 
agreeing  to  onr  September,  aged  969.  Early  in  the  next  month, 
Noah  and  his  family,  and  all  the  creatures  that  had  been  collected 
round  him,  entered  into  the  ark ;  and  on  the  seventeenth  day  the 
flood  came.  For  the  next  forty  days,  until  near  the  first  of  our 
December,  the  rain  continued, and  the  waters  were  steadily  increas- 
ing upon  the  earth.  They  had  now  reached  their  highest  elevation, 
overtopj)ing,  by  fifteen  cubits,  the  loftiest  mountains.  At  this  point 
they  continued  for  several  months,  until  every  living  creature  on 
the  face  of  the  earth  had  perished.  Early  in  the  following  March, 
the  waters  began  to  abate  ;  and  on  the  seventeenth  day  the  ark 
rested  on  the  mountains  of  Ararat.  Noah  continued  in  the  ark, 
however,  through  the  entire  summer, — unto  the  27th  of  October  ; 
making  his  confinement,  in  all,  a  little  more  than  a  year. 

aS: — Do  you  think  the  deluge  strictly  universal?  Or  was  it  a 
mere  local  inundation,  covering  some  parts  of  western  Asia  and 
Greece  ? 

F. — The  Scriptures  speak  of  it  as  universal.  "  All  the  high  hills 
that  were  under  the  whole  heaven  were  covered,"  and  "  all  flesh 
died  that  moved  upon  the  earth." 

S. — But  the  universal  language  of  Scripture  is  sometimes  used 
with  limitations  ;  and  why  may  it  not  be  limited  here  ? 

F. — The  universals  of  Scripture  are  sometimes  limited  by  the  con- 
nections in  which  they  stand,  or  by  the  nature  of  the  subjects  to 
which  they  are  applied.  Thus  it  is  said  of  the  famine  in  Egyj)t  in 
the  time  of  Joseph,  that  "  it  was  over  all  the  face  of  the  earth.'' 
And  in  Luke  it  is  said  that  "a  decree  went  out  from  Ca?sar  Augus- 
tus, that  all  the  ivorld  should  be  taxed."  The  connection  shows  that 
this  decree  was  limited  to  the  Roman  world  ;  and  the  famine  spoken 
of  reached  onh^  to  Egypt  and  some  of  the  surrounding  countries. 
But  where  there  is  nothing  in  the  connection  or  in  the  nature  of 
the  subject  spoken  of  to  limit  the  universal  language  of  Scripture, 
let  no  man  presume  to  limit  it.     Let  it  stand  as  God  has  written  it, 


104  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

in  full  force  and  import,  whatever  hypotheses  of  our  own  may  fall 
before  it. 

Now  there  is  nothing  in  the  connection,  or  in  the  subject  treated 
of,  which  should  lead  us  to  limit  the  plain  language  of  Scripture,  in 
regard  to  the  universality  of  the  deluge.  Such  an  idea  may  conflict 
with  some  of  the  theories  and  inventions  of  men,  but  I  know  not 
that  it  is  inconsistent  with  any  of  the  ascertained  facts  of  science,  or 
with  any  other  of  the  revelations  of  God.  Hence  I  must  regard  the 
narrative  in  Genesis  as  establishing  the  fact  of  a  universal  deluge. 

S. — Is  the  universality  of  the  deluge  confirmed  by  any  collateral 
considerations  ? 

F, — It  is  by  many.  On  the  supposition  that  the  deluge  was  only 
a  local  inundation,  extending  over  south-western  Asia,  we  see  not 
why  any  ark  was  needed.  The  beasts  and  birds,  and  especially 
birds  of  jDassage,  might  easily  have  fled  before  the  invading  scourge 
to  some  place  of  safety.  Even  Noah  and  his  family,  and  as  many 
others  as  were  so  disposed,  might  have  passed  rapidly  over  the 
Caucasian  mountains,  and  escaped.  The  space  allowed  between  the 
denunciation  of  the  deluge  and  its  infliction  would  have  been  amply 
suflicient  for  such  a  purpose. 

There  is  another  consideration  requiring  to  be  noticed  in  this 
connection.  On  supposition  that  the  waters  in  south-western  Asia 
rose  high  enough  to  cover  to  the  depth  of  fifteen  cubits  all  the 
mountains  in  that  mountainous  region, — the  ancient  Imans,  the 
lofty  Taurus,  the  Caucasian  range,  and  Ararat  itself,  towering  to 
the  height  of  eighteen  thousand  feet,  what  should  hinder  them  from 
spreading  over  all  the  earth  ?  A  deluge  such  as  this  could  not  have 
been  shut  up  in  a  corner.  By  its  flux  and  reflux,  it  must  neces- 
sarily have  reached  to  every  portion  of  the  globe. 

There  is  yet  another  consideration  wliich  is  conclusive  on  this 
point.  It  is  the  promise  to  Noah  when  he  left  the  ark,  that  there 
should  no  more  be  a  deluge  of  waters  to  destroy  the  earth  (Gen.  ix. 
15).  This  promise  imports  that  there  should  never  again  be  such  a 
deluge  as  had  just  occurred.     But  there  have  been  locals  partial  in- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  105 

undations  in  every  age  ;  and  if  Noali's  flood  was  but  a  partial  inun- 
dation, the  promise  of  God  has  been  often  broken.  We  infer, 
therefore,  from  this  solemn  promise,  thrice  repeated,  and  attested  by 
the  bow  in  the  cloud,  that  the  deluge  from  which  Noah  had  just 
escaped  was  universal. 

*S'. — But  if  the  flood  was  universal,  destroying  every  living  thing, 
and  subjecting  the  human  race  to  the  necessity  of  beginning  the 
world  anew,  springing,  as  at  the  first,  from  a  single  pair,  we  might 
expect  some  traditions  of  it  would  remain,  especially  among  the 
ancient  nations.     Do  we  find  any  such  traditions  ? 

F. — We  certainly  do.  We  find  them  in  all  parts  of  the  habitable 
earth.  In  Chaldea,  where  probably  the  ark  was  built ;  in  Assyria, 
an  adjoining  country  ;  among  the  ancient  Persians,  Greeks  and 
Romans ;  in  India  and  China  ;  and  even  among  the  natives  of  North 
and  South  America, — everywhere  we  find  traditions  of  this  great 
catastrophe.  They  all  speak, — often  grotesquely,  but  yet  plainly, — 
of  a  universal  deluge  of  waters,  brought  on  by  the  wickedness  of 
man,  in  which  a  few  only  are  saved  in  a  vessel  or  ark.  They  send 
out  birds  to  see  whether  the  ground  is  dry,  and  when  they  leave 
their  vessel,  the  same  things  occur  as  those  which  are  described  by 
Moses.  The  story  too,  in  every  instance,  is  thrown  back  into  the 
earliest  times, — the  very  beginning  of  the  nation's  history.  Admit 
all  these  traditions  to  grow  out  of  the  deluge  of  Noah,  and  the 
whole  is  plain  ;  but  if  we  reject  this  account  of  their  origin,  we  need 
a  greater  miracle  than  that  of  the  deluge  in  order  to  explain  them. 

S. — What  opinions  have  prevailed  in  past  ages  as  to  the  effect 
of  the  deluge  upon  the  earth  ? 

F. — Until  the  last  sixty  or  seventy  years,  it  was  common  for 
theologians  and  biblical  antiquaries  to  refer  nearly  all  the  otherwise 
unaccountable  phenomena  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  or  on  its  sur- 
face, to  the  action  of  the  deluge.  Fossil  remains  imbedded  far  down 
in  the  rocks,  the  relics  of  animals  and  vegetables  no  longer  in  exist- 
ence, widely  extended  coal  fields,  sea  shells  on  the  tops  of  mount- 
ains,  and   all  such  appearances,   were   supposed  to   have    a   com- 


106  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

mon  cause  in  llie  deluge  of  Noah ;  but  the  more  recent  geological 
discoveries  have  refuted  all  such  theories.  They  have  proved,  as 
conclusively  as  facts  can  prove  anything,  that  this  world  has  existed 
from  a  very  remote  period  ;  that  it  was  the  home  of  various  species 
of  animals  and  vegetables,  now  extinct,  long  ages  before  the  crea- 
tion of  man;  and  that  organic  remains  are  continually  exhumed, 
which  could  never  have  been  deposited  by  the  deluge  of  Noah. 

S. — How  has  that  portion  of  the  earth's  surface  commonly  known 
as  the  drift  been  regarded  ? 

F. — Until  a  recent  period,  it  was  supposed  by  the  most  respect- 
able geologists  that  this  portion  of  the  earth's  surface, — evidently 
occasioned  by  the  washing  of  water, — might  reasonably  be  ascribed 
to  the  deluge  as  its  cause ;  but  later  discoveries  have  led  many  to 
doubt  on  this  point.  In  many  places,  the  diluvium  or  drift  seems  to 
have  been  the  result  of  causes  more  ancient,  and  of  longer  contin- 
uance,than  the  deluge  of  Noah.  Besides,  the  drift  contains  few  or 
no  remains  of  the  bones  or  the  works  of  men, — a  fact  hard  to  be 
accounted  for  on  the  supposition  that  it  was  deposited  by  the  deluge 
of  which  we  speak. 

S. — Is  there  evidence  that  the  earth  has  been  washed  by  more 
than  one  deluge  ? 

F. — Yes ;  it  has  undoubtedly  been  visited  by  several  deluges,  the 
most  of  which  were  of  much  higher  antiquity  than  that  of  Noah. 
The  Scriptures  speak  expressly  of  one  deluge  almost  two  thousand 
years  anterior  to  Noah, — I  mean  that  which  enveloped  the  earth  at 
the  commencement  of  the  six  days'  work  of  the  creation.  The 
earth  was  at  that  period  "  without  form  and  void,  and  darkness  was 
upon  the  face  of  the  deep,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the 
face  of  the  tvaters ;  "  importing  that  the  earth  was,  at  that  time, 
generally,  if  not  entirely,  covered  with  water.  But  there  had  been 
deluges  more  ancient  than  this.  It  was  water,  or  perhaps  ice  formed 
from  water,  which  first  abraded  the  primary  rocks,  producing  the 
dust  of  the  earth,  and  the  materials  out  of  which  the  stratified  rocks 
were  formed.     And  these  stratified  rocks  generally,  if  not  univer- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  107 

sally,  shoAV,  in  their  formation,  the  action  of  water.  They  were,  at 
the  first,  mud,  lying  at  the  bottom  of  seas  or  lakes,  which  was  after- 
wards petrified  and  became  rock.  It  was  water  which  smoothed 
and  rounded  the  countless  myriads  of  bowlders,  which  are  either 
imbedded  in  rocks,  or  scattered  through  the  crust  of  the  earth,  or 
spread  abroad  upon  its  surface.  It  was  water  which  deposited  the 
successive  layers  of  sand  and  gravel,  loam  and  clay,  which  meet  us 
everywhere  in  the  earth,  when  we  have  occasion  to  dig  beneath  the 
surface.  The  drift  or  diluvium  of  which  I  have  spoken  is  all  of  it 
a  deposit  of  water.  We  encounter  it  in  every  sand  and  gravel  hill 
of  our  country.  In  short,  this  American  continent  seems  to  have 
been  subjected,  at  some  period,  to  a  tremendous  rush  of  waters, 
pouring  down  from  the  north,  and  passing  off  to  the  south,  abrading 
the  mountains,  scooping  out  the  valleys,  removing  and  scattering  the 
rocks  and  bowlders,  opening  beds  for  the.  rivers,  and  smoothing 
down  the  fertile  plains.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  most  of  our  great 
mountain  ranges,  in  this  country,  run  in  a  northerly  and  southerly 
direction  ;  almost  none  of  them  running  from  east  to  west.  In 
short,  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  this  earth  has  been  washed  by  re- 
peated deluges,  the  most  of  which  are  of  a  vastly  higher  antiquit}- 
than  that  of  Noah. 

aS'. — Is  it  likely  that  there  are  any  sure  marks  of  the  Noachian 
deluge  now  visible  on  the  earth's  surface  ? 

F. — Whether  there  be  any  such,  which  the  geologist  maj^  be  able 
to  trace  and  idetitifi/.,  is  uncertain.  Only  a  few  years  ago,  it  was 
thought  by  such  men  as  Buckland,  Silliman,  Hitchcock  and  others, 
that  such  traces  were  distinctly  visible  ;  but  more  recent  inquiries 
have  rendered  the  matter  doubtful.  No  one  can  j)retend  to  say  that 
it  7nat/  not  be  so  ;  while  no  one  can  say  positively  that  it  is  so.  In 
other  words,  no  one  can  point  to  any  particular  geological  phe- 
nomena, and  say  positivel}^  These  were  2^'i'odueed  by  Noalis  flood. 
But  whether  any  definable  traces  of  this  flood  now  remain  on  the 
earth  or  not,  the  analogy  of  the  world's  history  clearly  shows  that 
such  an  event  is  neither  impossible  nor  improbable.     If  repeated 


108  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

deluges  have  swept  over  the  earth  in  the  remoter  periods  of  its 
history,  why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  that  such  an 
event  should  occur  in  the  time  of  Noah  ?  If  the  geologist  can  fur- 
nish no  certain  proof  of  such  an  occurrence,  he  surely  can  furnish 
none  against  it ;  and  when  the  Bible  declares  it  in  the  most  explicit 
terms,  and  the  traditions  of  all  nations  bear  witness  to  it,  and  the 
analogy  of  the  world's  history  is  rather  in  its  favor  than  otherwise, 
who  shall  presume  to  stand  up  and  say,  it  is  not  so? 

jS. — But  where  could  water,  in  sufficient  quantities,  have  come 
from,  to  deluge  the  whole  earth,  and  overtop  the  highest  mountains? 

F. — I  do  not  know  where.  God  could  bring  to  pass  such  an 
event  in  a  thousand  ways.  Having  made  one  ocean,  he  can  make 
two,  or  ten,  if  he  is  so  disposed.  He  has  all  the  materials  at  hand 
for  composing  water ;  and  he  can  compose  it,  or  decompose  it,  to 
any  extent  he  pleases. 

If  this  answer  does  not  satisfy  you,  I  would  ask.  Where  did  the 
waters  of  the  previous  deluges  come  from  ?  Where  came  those  dark 
waters  on  which  the  Spirit  of  God  moved,  at  the  creation  ?  Whence 
came  those  mighty  waters  which  once  rolled  over  this  continent 
from  north  to  south,  scattering  its  drift  and  diluvium  everywhere  ? 
When  these  questions  have  been  satisfactorily" answered,  you  will 
have  little  occasion  to  trouble  yourself  further  respecting  the  cause 
and  origin  of  the  waters  of  Noah. 

S. — But  it  is  said,  as  the  deluge  was  sent  in  judgment  for  the 
wickedness  of  men,  it  need  not  have  extended  further  than  the 
habitations  of  men  ;  and  these  seem  to  have  been  confined  to  south- 
ern and  south-western  Asia. 

F. — But  how  does  the  objector  know  that  human  habitations 
were  confined,  at  that  period,  to  so  small  a  space  ?  How  can  he 
render  such  a  supposition  probable  ?  A  long  time  has  passed  since 
the  creation  of  man — as  long,  into  two  centuries,  as  has  intervened 
since  the  death  of  Christ.  The  command  was  given  to  the  race  at 
first,  "  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth ; "  and 
whatsoever  other  injunctions  may  have  been  broken,  we  have  rea- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  109 

son  to  know  that  this  was  observed.  Now  let  any  one  sit  down 
and  compute,  if  he  can,  the  probable  increase  of  the  race  during  the 
long  period  of  1,656  years,  when  families  lived  and  liad  sons  and 
daughters  for  hundreds  of  years  together ;  and  he  will  probably 
be  surprised  at  the  result.  If  the  household  of  Jacob,  who  went 
down  into  Egypt,  increased  there,  in  two  hundred  and  fifteen  years, 
to  nearly  two  millions ;  if  the  first  settlers  of  New  England,  a  small 
company,  have  increased  here,  in  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  till 
the  land  is  full  of  them ;  what  must  have  been  the  increase  of  the 
posterity  of  Adam  in  the  long  period  of  1,656  years  ?  My  own 
opinion  is,  that  the  earth  was  never  so  full  of  inhabitants,  as  it  was 
on  the  day  when  Noah  entered  into  the  ark.  We  are  expressly  told 
that  it  was  filled  with  violence,  and  with  violence  as  the  result  of 
human  wickedness.  It  follows  that  it  must  have  been  filled  with 
wicked  men,  and  that  a  deluge,  which  should  destroy  them  all,  must 
have  been  universal. 

S. — What  was  the  state  of  the  arts  among  this  multitude  of 
people  ? 

F. — My  own  impression  is,  that  the  arts,  or  some  of  them,  were 
never  carried  to  a  higher  degree  of  perfection,  than  at  that  period ; 
else  such  a  structure  as  the  ark  could  never  have  been  built.  Nor 
did  a  knowledge  of  the  arts  perish  in  the  flood.  It  survived,  and 
showed  itself  in  the  family  of  Noah.  Hence  we  find  men,  soon  after 
the  flood,  engaged  in  cultivating  the  earth,  in  building  towers  and 
cities,  in  practicing  the  arts  both  of  war  and  peace,  just  as  their 
pride  and  ingenuity  prompted. 

S. — Do  you  think  the  ark  was  capable  of  holding  pairs  of  all  the 
different  species  of  foAvls  and  animals,  of  insects  and  of  creeping 
things,  at  that  time  on  the  earth  ?  Could  they  have  been  brought 
together  from  all  parts  of  the  earth  to  go  into  it  ?  Or  if  they  could 
be  crowded  in,  must  they  not  soon  have  perished,  for  the  want  of 
food,  light  and  air? 

F. — I  do  not  think  that  pairs  of  literally  all  the  different  species 
of  fowls  and  animals,  of  insects  and  creeping  things  on  the  face  of 


110  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  earth  were  crowded  together  into  the  ark.  I  think  this  one  of 
the  cases  in  which  the  universals  of  Scripture  are  limited  by  the 
subjects  to  which  they  are  applied.  To  believe  the  contrary  in- 
volves not  a  miracle  only,  but  an  utter  impossibility.  Without 
doubt,  a  great  multitude  of  living  creatures  were  taken  into  the  ark  ; 
perhaps  all  that  Noah  knew,  or  had  access  to,  or  that  he  felt  any 
interest  in  preserving, — all  that  God  intended  he  should  preserve. 

As  to  a  sufficiency  of  food,  light  and  air  within  the  ark,  only  a  few 
words  need  be  said.  If  Noah  knew  enough  to  build  such  an  ark, 
the  presumption  is  that  he  knew  enough  to  make  provision  for 
necessities  such  as  these.  Or  if  Noah  did  not  understand  the  mat- 
ter, most  certainly  God  did ;  and  in  his  directions  for  building  the 
ark,  items  so  important  as  these  would  not  have  been  overlooked. 
We  are  not  told,  indeed,  how  this  was  done  ;  but  that  it  was  done, 
and  done  effectually,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  The  preservation  of 
the  creatures  alive  within  the  ark  is  full  proof  of  this. 

S. — It  is  objected  to  the  scriptural  account  of  the  deluge,  that 
the  top  of  Ararat  is  no  place  for  the  resting  of  the  ark ;  it  is  up  in  a 
region  of  perpetual  ice  and  snow;  and  the  mountain  is  so  steep  and 
rugged,  that  Noah,  with  his  family  and  animals,  could  never  have 
made  the  descent. 

F. — The  Scriptures  do  not  state  that  the  ark  rested  on  the  top  of 
Ararat ;  nor  is  it  certain  that  it  rested  on  any  part  of  what  is  now 
called  Ararat.  Jerome  informs  us  that  the  name  Ararat  was  an- 
ciently given  to  the  whole  chain  of  Armenian  mountains.  Dr.  Shuck- 
ford  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  ark  rested  on  some  mountain  farther 
east.  Hence  it  is  said  that  the  descendants  of  Noah  "journeyed  from 
the  east "  to  come  into  the  land  of  Shinar.  In  the  Syrian  version  it 
is  said  that  the  ark  rested  on  the  top  of  mount  Cardon.  This  is  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  great  range  of  the  Taurus ;  whereas  Ararat 
proper  is  in  the  western  part. 

aS'. — It  is  urged,  finally,  that  the  histories  of  some  ancient  nations 
— the  Chinese,  the  Hindoos,  the  Chaldeans,  and  Egyptians — run 
back  to  a  period  long  anterior  to  the  time  of  the  deluge. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  HI 

F. — The  chronology  of  most  ancient  nations  may  be  divided  into 
three  parts — t\\Q  fabulous,  the  traditionart/,  and  the  historic;  the  two 
first  of  which  ma}^  be  passed  over  as  of  little  account  in  history. 
The  Chinese  are  an  ancient  nation, — more  ancient,  probably,  than 
any  otlier  now  existing ;  but  that  their  empire  dates  back  to  a 
period  beyond  the  flood,  says  Mr.  Gutzlaff,  "  is  as  extravagant  as 
any  of  the  mythological  stories  of  the  Greeks  or  Hindoos.  They 
have  no  reliable  authentic  history  before  the  time  of  Confucius, 
which  was  only  five  hundred  and  fifty  years  before  Christ." 

Of  the  Hindoos,  the  late  Dr.  Allen  says :  "  We  have  no  means  of 
determining  the  date  of  any  event,  previous  to  the  invasion  of 
Alexander  the  Great,  about  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  years 
before  Christ ;  "  though,  previous  to  this,  it  is  well  known  that 
India  was  a  partially  civilized  and  populous  country. 

The  Bible  lays  the  foundation  of  the  Chaldean  empire  in  the 
times  of  Asshur  and  Nimrod,  from  one  to  two  hundred  years  after 
the  flood.  No  other  history  traces  it  further  back  than  this,  or  so 
far  by  several  hundred  years. 

Egypt  was  planted  soon  after  the  division  of  the  earth,  in  the  days 
of  Peleg — about  two  hundred  years  after  the  deluge.  We  have  no 
authentic  history  of  Egypt  which  ascribes  to  it  a  higher  antiquity. 

S. — What  are  some  of  the  lessons  taught  us  in  that  great  and 
terrible  catastrophe  which  has  been  considered. 

F. — We  see  in  it,  first  of  all,  the  dreadful  depravity  of  the  human 
race.  On  what  other  ground  than  this  can  it  be  accounted  for, 
that  the  world  should  have  become  so  soon  and  so  frightfully 
wicked, — so  utterly  corrupt,  that  it  repented  the  Lord  that  he  had 
made  it,  and  it  onl}^  remained  for  him  to  destroy  it  ? 

This  event  also  teaches,  as  do  many  other  events  in  history, 
"both  the  goodness  and  the  severity  of  God," — his  goodness,  in 
bearing  so  long  with  ungodly  sinners,  and  favoring  them  with  so 
many  mercies ;  his  severity,  in  at  length  lifting  the  strong  hand  of 
his  justice,  and  sweeping  them  all  away. 

We  see  also,  in  the  event  before  us,  i\\&  faithfulness  of  God  to  his 


112  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

people.  Never,  either  before  or  since,  was  the  church  of  God 
brought  into  such  an  extremity.  Never  was  it  apparently  so  near 
destruction,  and  yet  it  was  not  destroyed ;  it  was  saved.  God's 
word  of  promise  had  been  pledged  to  it ;  and  though  heaven  and 
earth  seemed  passing  away,  not  one  jot  or  tittle  of  that  word  could 
fail. 

Let  us  learn,  too,  from  the  example  of  Noah,  in  this  instance, 
the  importance  of  standing  up  for  God  and  truth,  though  Ave  may 
be  called  to  standalone.  Never  was  man  more  sorely  tried, or  more 
strongly  tempted  to  hold  his  peace  and  follow  a  multitude  to  do  evil, 
than  Noah  must  have  been,  for  the  last  hundred  years  before  the 
flood.  His  ease,  his  worldly  comfort,  his  credit,  his  property,  every- 
thing dear  to  him  was  at  stake,  and  all  were  urging  him  together  to 
stop  his  preaching,  to  suspend  his  work  upon  the  ark,  and  follow  in 
the  course  of  an  evil,  gainsaying  world.  But  no  ;  he  had  received 
a  message  from  God,  and  he  must  proclaim  it.  He  must  stand  up 
for  truth  and  right,  though  earth  and  hell  opposed.  And  the 
sequel  proved  that  the  path  of  duty  was  to  him,  as  it  is  to  every 
one,  the  path  of  safety.  God  took  care  of  him,  preserved  and 
blessed  him,  and  when  the  whelming  ruin  came,  he  and  his  family 
were  safe. 


CONVERSATION  XIL 

EVENTS  FOLLOWING  THE  DELUGE.— Noah's  first  work.— First  permission  to  take 
tlie  life  of  animals  and  eat  their  flesh. — Blood  prohibited. — The  death  penalty  for  mur- 
der.— The  rainbow. — Was  this  its  first  appearance. — Noah's  history. — His  sons. — Where 
they  settled. — Occupation. — Tower  of  Babel. — Confusion  of  tongues. — The  original  lan- 
guage.— Site  of  Babel. — Ancient  historians. 

Son. — What  was  the  first  work  of  Noah  after  leaving  the  ark  ? 

Father. — It  was  to  build  an  altar  unto  the  Lord,  and  offer  upon  it 
a  burnt  sacrifice, — full  proof  that  the  institution  of  bloody  sacrifices 
had  been  continued  all  along  through  the  antediluvian  ages,  point- 
ing believing  worshipers  to  the  great  atoning  sacrifice  which,  in  the 
fullness  of  time,  was  to  be  offered  for  the  sins  of  the  world. 

*S'. — Was  Noah's  offering  accepted  ? 

F. — It  was,  and  was  followed  by  the  richest  promises  to  the 
patriarch  and  his  posterity.  "  I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground  for 
man's  sake,  neither  will  I  any  more  smite  every  living  thing,  as  I 
have  done."  And  "  God  blessed  Noah  and  his  sons,  and  said  unto 
them,  Be  fruitful,  and  multiply,  and  replenish  the  earth ;  and  the 
dread  of  you  shall  be  upon  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  upon  every 
fowl  of  the  air,  and  upon  all  the  fishes  of  the  sea.  Every  moving 
thing  that  liveth  shall  be  meat  unto  jovi.  Even  as  the  green  herb, 
have  I  given  3-ou  all  things  (Gen.  ix.  1-3). 

S. — Was  not  a  new  grant  here  made  to  the  human  family,  as  to  a 
subsistence  ? 

F. — There  was — a  permission  to  take  the  life  of  animals,  and  to 
eat  their  flesh.  The  antediluvians  had  no  permission  from  God  to 
eat  flesh.  Their  sustenance  was  to  be  the  herb  of  the  field  (Gen. 
i.  29). 

S. — Aside  from  this  grant,  should  we  have  no  right  to  take  the 
life  of  animals  ? 

F. — Except  in  self-preservation,  or  for  self-defense,  it  might  not 
be  easy  to  vindicate  the  right.  What  right  have  we  to  kill  inoffen- 
sive animals,  merely  for  our  own  pleasure,  or  for  the  sake  of  their 

8 


114  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE, 


flesli,  unless  we  have  a  special  grant  from  God?  It  Avould  hardly 
satisfy  us  to  plead  our  liking  for  their  flesh,  or  the  right  of  the 
stronger  against  the  weaker. 

S. — In  the  grant  to  take  the  life  of  animals,  why  was  their  blood 
prohibited  ? 

F. — Moses  does  not  give  a  reason  in  this  place,  but  he  does  in 
another.  "  The  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood,  and  I  have  given  it 
to  you  upon  the  altar,  to  make  an  atonement  for  your  souls  ;  for  it 
is  the  blood  that  maketh  atonement  for  the  soul "  (Lev.  xvii.  10, 11). 

S. — The  death  penalty  was  now  aflixed  to  the  crime  of  murder  ; 
had  it  never  been  exacted  before  ? 

F. — So  far  as  we  know,  it  had  not  been.  Cain  was  not  put  to 
death  for  his  murder ;  and  neither  was  Lamech  (Gen.  iv.  24).  And 
this  laxity  of  law  may  be  one  of  the  reasons  why  the  earth,  at  that 
time,  Avas  filled  with  violence.  But  now  God  says:  "At  the  hand 
of  every  man's  brother  will  I  require  the  life  of  man.  Whoso  shed- 
deth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed"  (Gen.  ix.  6). 
This  regulation  was  not  a  Jewish  one,  intended  only  for  that  peo- 
ple ;  for  it  was  given  hundreds  of  years  before  the  Jews,  as  a 
distinct  people,  had  an  existence.  Uttered  now,  at  the  very  reor- 
ganization of  the  world,  it  was  intended  obviously  for  the  race.  It 
is  to  be  regarded  as  of  universal  and  perpetual  obligation. 

S. — God  now  established  a  covenant  with  Noah  and  his  posterity, 
and  set  his  bow  in  the  cloud  as  a  token  of  his  covenant.  Are  we 
to  understand  that  the  rainbow  had  never  been  seen  before  ? 

F. — Perhaps  not.  If  there  were  clouds  and  rain  before  the  flood, 
I  think  it  must  have  been  seen  occasionally.  But  a  new  significance 
was  now  given  to  the  rainbow.  "  I  do  appoint  my  bow  in  the  cloud, 
and  it  shall  be  a  token  of  the  covenant  between  me  and  the  earth." 

*S'. — How  long  did  Noah  and  his  sons  dwell  near  the  place  where 
they  had  left  the  ark  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know  precisely.  Probably  not  less  than  twenty 
years.  It  was  here  that  the  good  man  planted  a  vineyard,  and 
drank  too   freely   of  the   wine   thereof,    and   exposed   himself  to 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  115 

the  derision  of  a  son  and  grandson.  Canaan,  a  son  of  Ham,  l)orn 
after  the  liood,  was  now  old  enough  to  be  joined  with  his  father  in 
the  curse,  as,  in  all  probability,  he  had  been  in  the  transgression. 
"  Cursed  be  Canaan ;  a  servant  of  servants  shall  he  be  uuto  his 
brethren." 

S. — AVhat  do  we  hear  of  Noah,  after  this. 

F. — Absolutely  nothing ;  except  that  he  lived  three  hundred  and 
fifty  years, — almost  to  the  time  of  Abraham.  In  the  opinion  of 
some,  he  did  not  migrate  with  his  sons  to  the  land  of  Shinar,  but 
remained  in  the  East,  had  another  famil}',  and  that  China,  and  per- 
haps some  other  eastern  countries,  were  settled  directly  by  him. 
This  supposition,  if  admitted,  will  account  for  the  utter  silence  of 
Scripture  respecting  Noah,  during  the  last  three  hundred  years  of 
his  life.  It  accounts  also  for  the  early  settlement  of  some  oriental 
countries.  China  seems  to  have  been  settled  as  early  as  Egypt ; 
and  yet  we  have  no  account  of  its  having  been  so  early  reached  by 
any  of  the  descendants  of  Shem,  Ham,  or  Japheth. 

S. — But  is  it  not  said  of  the  three  sons  of  Noah,  that  "by  them 
was  the  whole  earth  overspread  ?  " 

F. — It  is ;  but  then  the  word  earth,  in  this  passage,  may  refer 
only  to  the  historical  earth — those  portions  with  which  Moses  was 
acquainted,  and  which  are  mentioned  in  other  parts  of  the  sacred 
history. 

S. — To  what  country  did  the  three  sons  of  Noah,  at  length,  mi- 
grate ?  Where  did  they  establish  themselves  ? 

F. — As  I  have  said  before,  it  was  in  the  valley  of  the  Tigris,  the 
land  of  Shinar.  It  was  in  this  country  that  the  human  race  was 
first  planted.  It  was  in  this  vicinity,  somewhere,  that  the  ark  was 
built.  Hence  when  Shem,  Ham,  and  Japheth  came  again  into  this 
fertile  and  beautiful  valley,  they  found  themselves  at  home.  The 
flood,  no  doubt,  had  made  some  changes,  but  it  had  left  many 
familiar  objects.  Here  were  the  old  rivers,  the  extended  plain,  the 
valley,  perhaps,  in  which  they  were  born. 

*S'. — How  did  the  emigrants  employ  themselves  in  their  new  abode  ? 


116  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — Their  first  labor  was  to  cultivate  the  soil,  and  prepare  habit- 
ations for  themselves  and  their  families.  But  as  years  rolled  on, 
and  their  numbers  were  multiplied,  they  projected  a  great  public 
undertaking.  That  they  might  get  to  themselves  a  name,  and  pre- 
vent the  possibility  of  their  being  scattered,  or  destroyed  by  another 
flood,  they  resolved  to  build  a  city,  and  a  tower  whose  top  should 
reach  even  unto  heaven  (Gen.  xi.  4).  So  they  set  themselves,  with 
all  their  might,  to  build  Avhat  was  afterwards  called  the  tower  of 
Babel. 

S. — Were  they  sufficiently  numerous,  at  this  time,  to  engage  in 
such  an  undertaking? 

F. — I  suppose  they  were.  The  work  was  not  commenced  until 
about  two  hundred  years  after  the  flood,  when  their  posterity  may 
have  amounted  to  thousands,  perhaps  millions.  They  had  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  arts  after  the  flood,  as  they  had  before,  and  were  com- 
petent every  way  to  undertake  the  work  which  the  Holy  Spirit  has 
ascribed  to  them. 

S. — How  did  God  regard  this  great  undertaking? 

F. — He  was  displeased  with  it,  and  took  measures  to  frustrate  it. 
Instead  of  dwelling  together,  and  rallying  round  a  great  central  city 
and  tower,  God  designed  that  the  human  family  should  be  sepa- 
rated— scattered  abroad  over  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  and  in  order  to 
accomplish  Ids  purpose,  and  defeat  their  own,  he  took  the  wisest 
measure  possible.  He  "  came  down  and  confounded  their  language, 
so  that  they  could  not  understand  one  another's  speech." 

S. — How  are  we  to  interpret  the  words  here  used? 

F. — Various  interpretations  have  been  put  upon  them  ;  but  the 
meaning,  as  it  seems  to  me,  is  very  obvious.  God  gave  the  human 
family  a  language  at  the  first.  It  was  not  a  thing  of  human  inven- 
tion, but  the  gift  of  God.  He  adapted  the  human  organs  to  the 
use  of  a  language,  and  he  gave  a  language,  undoubtedly,  to  the  first 
human  pair ;  so  that  Adam  and  Eve  could  converse  together,  and 
converse  with  God,  and  teach  their  children  to  talk,  as  we  do  ours. 
And  the  Being  who  gave  a  language,  could  easily  change  it,  or,  as 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  117 

the  Scriptures  say,  confound  it.  He  coukl  cause  those  who  all  their 
lives  had  used  a  particular  language  to  forget  it  instantly,  and  to 
speak  another.  The  change  here  experienced  was  very  like  to  that 
which  was  wrought  on  the  Apostles  at  the  day  of  Pentecost.  They 
were  endowed  instantly  with  the  gift  of  tongues,  or  with  ability  to 
converse  in  languages  which  they  had  not  learned.  The  Apostles 
did  not  indeed,  like  those  at  Babel,  forget  their  former  tongues,  but 
they  received  the  greater  gift  of  speaking  in  new  tongues. 

S. — What  do  you  suppose  was  the  original  language,  that  first 
spoken  by  the  human  race  ? 

F. — I  know  not  that  this  question  can  be  answered  positively  ; 
and  yet  I  have  a  strong  impression  that  the  original  language  was 
the  Hebrew.  In  support  of  this  opinion,  I  will  urge  but  a  single 
fact.  The  proper  names  of  most  of  the  antediluvians  are  Hebrew — 
derived  from  Hebrew  roots,  and  having  Hebrew  significations. 
Thus  Adam,  in  Hebrew,  signifies  red  earth;  because  it  was  from 
such  earth  that  the  body  of  the  first  man  was  formed.  So  Eve  sig- 
nifies, in  Hebrew,  living^  or  life-giving  ;  because  she  was  the  mother 
of  all  living.  Cain  signifies  a  jyossessioti,  an  acquisition  ;  because  his 
mother  said  at  his  birth,  "  I  have  gotten  a  man  from  the  Lord." 
Abel  signifies  moujming,  sorroio  ;  because  of  the  sorrow  of  his  parents 
perhaps  for  their  sins,  or  for  their  hard  labor  in  subduing  the  earth. 
Seth  signifies  something  |?i/f,  or  substituted;  because  Seth  was  given 
in  the  place  of  Abel  who  had  been  killed.  I  might  proceed  in  this 
Avay,  and  define  most  of  the  antediluvian  names.  Now  it  is  very 
improbable  that  these  names  were  translated  into  Hebrew  from 
some  other  language.  And  if  they  were  not  translated;  if  they 
were  originally  what  they  now  are ;  in  other  words,  if  the  original 
name  of  Adam  was  Adam,  and  of  Eve,  Uve,  and  so  of  the  rest ;  then 
it  is  quite  certain  that  the  original,  primeval  language  was  Hebrew. 
This  language  seems  to  have  descended  to  God's  chosen  people  in 
the  line  of  Sliem ;  as  all  the  Shemitic  languages,  to  this  day,  are 
but  derivatives,  offshoots,  from  the  original  Hebrew. 

S. — Do  we  not  have  a  strong  confirmation  of  this  account  of  the 


118  CONVERSATION'S  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

early  confounding  of  languages  in  the  subsequent  history  of  the 
world  ? 

F. — We  certainly  do.  The  languages  now  spoken  among  men 
are  numerous,  and  variously  diversified.  The  most  of  them  are  de- 
rivative languages,  borrowed  one  from  another.  Yet  a  few  seem  to 
have  been  originally  distinct.  But  the  elements,  the  laws,  the 
general  structure  and  principles  of  language  are  everywhere  the 
same — a  fact  pointing  us  back  to  a  period  when  there  was  but  one 
language,  as  the  Scriptures  represent. 

S. — Where  was  the  Tower  of  Babel  situated? 

F. — Undoubtedly  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Babylon.  Indeed 
the  first  builders  of  Babylon  seem  to  have  carried  out,  so  far  as 
they  were  able,  the  original  design  of  the  builders  of  Babel.  They 
enclosed  the  tower  with  a  wall,  and  built  up  a  magnificent  city 
around  it.  It  stood  on  the  Euphrates,  in  north  latitude  36°.  The 
remains  of  the  tower  were  long  visible,  and  may  be  even  to  this 
day.  They  are  expressly  spoken  of  by  Berosus,  Herodotus,  and 
other  ancient  historians. 


CONVERSATION  XIII. 

ORIGIN  OF  NATIONS. — The  dispersion. — Tribes  and  families  of  one  tongue. — Nations 
in  the  tlie  line  of  Japheth. — Portions  of  tlie  eartli  populated  by  his  descendants. — The 
children  of  Shem  and  wiio  they  are. — Egypt  and  Aral)ia  peopled  by  the  children  of  Ham. 
— The  desire  for  conquest. — Rise  and  fall  of  nations. — Importance  of  tiie  book  of  Genesis. 

Son. — When  the  language  of  the  Babel  builders  had  been  con- 
founded, so  that  they  could  no  longer  have  intercourse  one  with 
another,  they  began  to  disperse  and  to  be  scattered  abroad.  In 
what  way  was  their  dispersion  effected  ? 

Father. — It  was  not  done  accidentally  or  promiscuously.  There 
was  order  and  method  in  their  dispersion.  They  are  said  to  have 
been  settled  "  after  their  tongues,  and  after  their  families,  in  their 
nations"  (Gen.  x.  5).  In  the  confounding  of  tongues,  it  is  likely 
that  the  members  of  each  large  family  or  tribe  had  a  tongue  by 
themselves.  They  could  understand  one  another,  but  could  not 
understand  the  men  of  another  tribe.  This  would  separate  the  dif- 
ferent families  or  tribes,  while  it  kept  the  members  of  each  particu- 
lar tribe  together. 

aS'. — Which  was  the  eldest  of  Noah's  sons  ? 

F. — Japheth  was  the  eldest.  Ham  was  the  youngest  (Gen.  ix. 
25)  ;  and  Japheth  was  older  than  Shem  (Gen.  x.  21). 

S. — Who  were  the  sons  of  Japheth,  and  where  were  they  settled  ? 

F. — Japheth  had  seven  sons,  viz.,  Gomer,  Magog,  Madai,  Javan, 
Tubal,  Meshech,  and  Tiras.  The  family  of  Gomer  is  supposed  to 
have  established  themselves  in  the  ancient  Phrygia,  bordering  on  the 
Hellespont,  the  sea  of  Marmora,  and  the  Black  Sea.  From  Magog 
descended  the  Scythians  and  modern  Tartars,  inhabiting  northern 
and  central  Asia.  Madai  was  the  father  of  the  Medes,  inhabiting 
a  country  lying  south  of  the  Caspian  sea.  From  Javan  descended 
the  lonians,  or  Greeks.  The  settlement  of  Meshech  lay  east  of 
that  of  Gomer,  on  the  south-eastern  shore  of  the  Black  sea.  The 
settlement  of  Tubal  was  farther  east,  between  those   of  Meshech 


120  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

and  Madai,  and  between  the  Black  and  Caspian  seas.  Tiras  set- 
tled what  was  afterwards  called,  from  his  name,  Thrace. 

It  will  be  seen  that  five  of  these  sons  of  Japheth  are  supposed  to 
have  settled  in  Central  Asia,  near  the  Black  and  Caspian  seas, 
and  in  regions  north  and  east  of  them.  Here  they  multiplied  and 
spread  themselves  for  a  time,  all  speaking  the  same  language.  But 
owing  to  the  severity  of  the  climate,  or  to  some  other  cause,  a  por- 
tion of  them  resolved  to  emigrate.  They  passed  down  into  south- 
ern Asia,  and  then  eastward  into  India,  driving  out  most  of  the 
original  inhabitants,  and  taking  possession  of  the  country.  Mean- 
while, another  portion  of  the  same  great  family  migrated  from  their 
seats  in  Central  Asia,  and  took  possession  of  northern  and  western 
Europe.  In  this  way  we  account  for  the  similarity  between  the 
Aryan  and  some  European  languages.  There  is  no  evidence  that 
any  of  this  great  family  who  went  into  India  returned ;  nor  is  such 
a  supposition  necessary,  in  order  to  account  for  the  similarities  of 
language  which  have  been  observed. 

S. — What  do  we  know  as  to  the  settlements  of  the  grandchildren 
of  Japheth? 

F. — Of  his  grandchildren,  Moses  mentions  only  two  families,  viz.., 
those  of  Gomer  and  Javan.  The  sons  of  Gomer  were  Ashkenaz, 
Riphath,  and  Togarmah.  The  sons  of  Javan  were  Elisha,  Tarshish, 
Kittim,  and  Dodanim.  "  By  these,"  says  the  sacred  writer,  "  were 
the  isles  of  the  Gentiles  divided  in  their  lands."  By  these,  was 
southern  and  Central  Europe  peopled.  Ashkenaz  gave  his  name  to 
what  is  now  the  Black  sea.  It  was  called  by  the  Greeks  the  sea  of 
Axenos,  or  the  Axene  sea ;  from  whence  it  came  to  be  called  the 
Euxine  or  Black  sea.  Tarshish  gave  his  name  to  what  is  now  the 
Mediterranean  sea.  The  ships  of  Tarshish,  of  which  we  hear  so 
much,  were  ships  that  sailed  on  the  Mediterranean.*  Germany  is 
thought  to  have  received  its  name  from  Gomer. 

S. — Who  were  the  sons  of  Shem,  and  Avhere  did  they  reside? 


*There  was  doubtless,  some  port,  perhaps  more  than  one,  called  Tarshish ;  but  this  name 
also  belonged  to  the  sea.     See  Ps.  xlviii.  7. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  121 

F. — Shem  had  five  sons,  viz..,  Elam,  Ashiir,  Arphaxad,  Lud,  and 
Aram.  Elara  was  the  father  of  the  ancient  Persians.  Ashur  set- 
tled Assyria ;  and  from  him  the  country  received  its  name,  Ar- 
phaxad seems  to  have  remained  Avith  his  father  in  the  hmd  of 
Shinar.  He  was  the  ancestor  of  Abraham.  Josephus  assigns  Lud 
to  Lydia ;  but  of  this  there  is  some  doubt.  The  descendants  of 
Aram  settled  Syria  and  Armenia.  From  Aram  the  name  Armenia 
is  thought  to  be  derived. 

S. — What  is  said  of  Shem's  grandchildren  ? 

F. — Of  the  grandchildren  of  Shem,  as  of  Japheth,  only  two  fami- 
lies are  mentioned,  viz..,  those  of  Arphaxad  and  Aram.  Arphaxad 
begat  Salah,  and  Salah  begat  Eber,  from  whom  the  Hebrews  took 
their  name.  Eber  had  two  sons,  Peleg  and  Joktan.  In  the  time 
of  Peleg,  the  languages  of  men  were  confounded,  and  the  earth  was 
divided, — about  two  hundred  years  after  the  flood.  Joktan  had 
thirteen  sons,  who  all  migrated  eastward.  It  is  not  unlikely  that 
the  original  inhabitants  of  India,  and  of  all  south-eastern  Asia,  were 
the  descendants  of  Joktan.  The  name  of  one  of  Joktan's  sons  was 
Ophir;  and  the  probability  is  that  Ophir,  the  ancient  land  of  gold, 
was  in  south-eastern  Asia. 

Aram,  another  of  the  sons  of  Shem,  had  four  sons,  viz..,  Uz,  Hull, 
Gether,  and  jNIash, — all  of  whom  settled  in  the  country  before 
assigned  to  Aram,  viz.,  Syria  and  Armenia.  Uz  is  thought  to  have 
founded  the  city  of  Damascus — probably  the  oldest  city  now  on  the 
earth. 

S. — The  sons  of  Ham, — who  Avere  they,  and  where  did  they  plant 
themselves? 

F. — Ham  had  four  sons,  viz..,  Cush,  Mizraim,  Phut,  and  Canaan. 
Cush  first  lived  east  of  the  Euphrates,  near  its  mouth,  and  his  coun- 
try was  watered  by  the  ancient  Gihon.  He  afterwards  migrated 
into  southern  Arabia,  and  then  over  the  red  sea  into  Africa.  Cush 
had  six  sons,  viz..,  Seba,  Havilah,  Sabtah,  Raamah,  Sabtechah,  and 
Nimrod.  The  first  five  of  them  settled  with  their  father  in  Arabia 
and  Africa,  and  are  called  in  our  Bibles,  Ethiopians.     They  were  a 


122  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

colored  race,  wliicli  spread  themselves  over  the  greater  part  of  Africa. 
Mmrod  seems  not  to  have  left  the  land  of  Shinar.  "  He  was  a  mighty 
hunter  before  the  Lord,  and  the  beginning  of  his  kingdom  was  Ba- 
bel, and  Erech,  and  Accad,  and  Calnah."  He  was  a  warrior  as  well 
as  hunter,  and  a  leader  in  the  mad  project  of  building  the  tower  of 
Babel.     Hence  Babel  is  called  the  beginning  of  his  kingdom. 

Egypt  was  early  settled  by  Mizraim,  and  his  seven  sons  ;  perhaps, 
also,  by  his  father  Ham.  Egypt  is  called  "  the  land  of  Ham  "  (Ps. 
cv.  23.) 

The  descendants  of  Phut  are  supposed  to  have  migrated  into 
Africa,  and  to  have  settled  Lybia.  The  descendants  of  Canaan 
were  the  original  Canaanites,  who  were  dispossessed  by  the  Israel- 
ites, when  they  came  out  of  EgyjDt. 

S. — Which  family  of  the  descendants  of  Noah  were  at  the  first 
the  most  powerful ;  and  how  did  they  severally  prosper  ? 

F. — The  children  of  Ham  seem  to  have  been  most  powerful,  at 
the  first.  Nimrod  ruled,  for  a  time,  Chaldea  or  the  land  of  Shinar ; 
also  in  Arabia,  Egypt,  Ethiopia,  and  Canaan ;  the  sons  of  Ham  had 
powerful  kingdoms. 

But  at  length  the  Shemites  began  to  distinguish  themselves  and 
to  prevail.  Persia,  Assyria,  Syria,  Armenia,  and  portions  of  India 
were  settled  by  the  sons  of  Shem.  At  length,  they  drove  out  the 
posterity  of  Ham  from  Arabia  and  Canaan,  and  possessed  those 
countries.  From  this  period,  the  Hamites  have  been  confined 
chiefly  to  Africa. 

But  in  later  times  the  children  of  Japheth  have  distinguished 
themselves  above  all  others.  Greece,  Rome,  Germany,  France, 
Spain,  England, — nearly  all  Europe,  northern  Asia,  and  a  large  part 
of  India,  have  been  peopled  by  the  descendants  of  Japheth.  God 
has  greatly  enlarged  Japheth,  and  caused  him  to  dwell  in  the  tents 
of  Shem  (Gen.  ix.  27). 

S. — These  chapters  of  Genesis,  over  which  we  have  passed,  though 
seeming,  at  first,  like  a  dry  list  of  names,  are  really  a  very  import- 
ant part  of  the  sacred  history. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  123 

F. — They  are  so  indeed ;  and  more  than  this,  they  contain  the 
seeds  of  all  history.  More  reliable  knowledge  of  the  different  races 
of  men,  of  the  origin  of  nations,  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  earth, 
— more  true  ethnology,  may  be  gathered  from  these  chapters,  than 
from  all  ancient  history  besides. 


CONVERSATION  XIV. 

ABRAHAM  TO  HIS  SEPARATION  FROM  LOT.— Birth  of  Abraham.— "When  and 
where. — Family  connections. — Marries  his  half  sister. — First  call. — Its  object. — Second 
call  and  the  promise. — Particulars  of  his  journey  to  Canaan. — Damascus  is  passed. — 
A  disreputable  act.— Sarah's  beauty. — Pharaoh  sharply  reproves  Abraham. — Cause  of 
Lot  and  Abraham's  separation. —  Selfishness  of  Lot. 

Father. — The  chapters  in  Genesis  over  which  we  have  passed  may 
be  regarded  as  introductory  to  the  life  of  Abraham,  in  whose  family 
God  was  about  to  establish  his  visible  church.  It  will  give  me 
pleasure  to  reply  to  any  of  your  questions  respecting  this  venerable 
man  of  God. 

Son. — Can  you  tell  us  when  and  where  Abraham  was  born  •? 

F. — He  was  in  the  tenth  generation  from  Noah,  in  the  line  of 
Shem,  and  was  born  three  hundred  and  fifty-two  years  after  the 
flood.  The  place  of  his  birth  was  "  Ur  of  the  Chaldees," — the  same 
as  the  modern  Orfa,  now  one  of  the  stations  of  the  American  Board 
of  Missions.  By  the  Greeks  the  place  was  called  Edessa,  and  was 
the  capital  of  king  Agiarus,  Avho  was  an  early  convert  to  the  faith 
of  Christ. 

The  modern  city  lies  on  the  edge  of  one  of  those  rugged  spurs 
which  descend  from  the  mountains  of  Armenia  into  the  Assyrian 
plains.  The  place  is  easily,  almost  naturally,  fortified  ;  and  besides, 
it  is  blessed  with  an  abundant  spring  of  the  purest  water,  which 
makes  the  spot  an  oasis — a  paradise  in  the  Chaldean  wilderness.  In 
this  beautiful  city,  from  which,  even  now,  the  traveler  turns  reluc- 
tantly away,  the  patriarch  Abraham  was  born,  and  spent  the  earlier 
portion  of  his  life. 

S. — What  Avere  his  immediate  family  connections? 

F. — His  father  Terah  had  three  sons,  whose  names  are  given  in 
the  Bible,  viz.:  Haran,  Nahor,  and  Abraham.  Haran  was  sixty 
years  older  than  Abraham,  and  died  in  Ur,  leaving  two  daughters 
and  a  son.  The  daughters  were  Milcah  and  Iscah ;  the  son's  name 
was  Lot.     Milcah  was  married  to  her  uncle  Nahor  ;  and  some  have 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  125 

thoiiglit  that  Iscali  was  but  another  name  for  Sarah,  the  wife  of 
Abraham.  But  this  contradicts  the  account  of  Abraham  himself, 
who  makes  Sarali  to  be  a  half  sister,  the  daughter  of  Terah  b}^  a 
second  wife.  "She  is  the  daughter  of  my  father,  but  not  the  daugh- 
ter of  my  mother  "  (Gen.  xx.  12). 

S. — Why  was  Abraham  and  his  family  called  to  remove  from  Ur  ? 

F. — It  was  on  account  of  the  prevailing  idolatry,  which  had 
infected  even  the  family  of  Terah.  It  was  while  he  dwelt  at  Ur 
that  he  received  his  first  call  from  God  to  leave  the  land  of  his 
nativity,  and  go  into  a  foreign  country.  The  object  of  the  call  un- 
doubtedly was,  to  separate  him  and  his  immediate  household  from 
the  contamination  of  idols,  and  thus  preserve  and  perpetuate  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God  in  the  earth. 

S. — How  was  the  call  for  a  removal  made  known  to  Abraham? 

F. — We  are  not  informed.  We  only  know  that  it  was  an  intelli- 
gible call,  so  much  so  as  to  satisfy,  not  only  Abraham,  but  the 
other  members  of  the  family ;  for  they  all  listened  to  it, — Terah, 
Nahor  and  his  wife,  Abraham  and  his  wife,  and  Lot, — and  removed, 
at  once,  to  a  place  which  (in  honor  of  the  eldest  son  and  brother  of 
the  family,  now  deceased)  they  called  Haran.  It  is  sometimes 
called,  in  Scripture,  Padan-Aram.  Here  the  family  dwelt  together 
until  the  death  of  Terah,  at  the  advanced  age  of  two  hundred  and 
five. 

S. — When  did  Abraham  receive  his  second  call  for  a  removal  into 
the  land  of  Canaan  ? 

F. — Soon  after  the  death  of  his  father,  when  he  was  seventy-five 
years  old.  The  call  in  this  instance  was  very  positive  :  "  Get  thee 
out  from  thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  father's 
house,  into  a  land  which  I  will  show  thee,  and  I  Avill  make  of  thee 
a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee,  and  make  thy  name  great ;  and 
in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 

With  this  requisition,  as  in  the  former  case,  Abraham  hesitated 
not  to  comply.  He  believed  God,  and  obeyed  him.  Leaving  be- 
hind his  brother  Nahor  and  family,  he  took  his  wife,  and  Lot,  his 


126  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

brother's  son,  and  all  the  substance  that  they  had  gathered  in 
Haran,  consisting  of  servants,  flocks  and  herds, — and  departed  to 
go  into  the  land  of  Canaan. 

S. — In  what  direction  was  Canaan  from  his  present  home  ? 

F. — It  was  far  to  the  south  and  west.  Canaan  was  thinly  in- 
habited, at  this  time,  by  the  descendants  of  Canaan,  a  son  of  Ham. 
The  Canaanites  were  mostly  idolaters  ;  and  yet  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God  was  not  entirely  lost  among  them.  Melchizedek  and 
several  others  with  whom  Abraham  had  intercourse,  seem  to  have 
worshiped  the  same  God  as  himself. 

S. — How  long  was  he  on  the  journey,  and  what  were  some  of  the 
incidents  of  it  ? 

F. — We  are  not  particularly  informed.  It  is  thought  that  he 
touched  at  Damascus ;  and  the  fact  that  his  most  trusty  servant, 
years  afterwards,  was  called  "  Eliezar  of  Damascus,"  gives  color  to 
this  supposition.  Being  under  the  special  guidance  and  blessing  of 
heaven,  his  path  was  undoubtedly  made  plain  and  safe  to  him.  He 
arrived  first  at  the  plain  of  Morah,  near  to  Sichem, — the  same  which 
was  afterwards  Samaria.  Here  he  encamped  for  some  considerable 
time,  and  builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  Here  the  Lord  appeared 
unto  him,  and  gave  him  a  promise,  that  the  land  to  which  he  had 
come  should  be  given  to  his  posterity  for  a  possession. 

S. — What  were  Abraham's  subsequent  removals  ? 

F. — From  Sichem  he  removed  into  what  was  afterwards  Mount 
Ephraim,  and  pitched  his  tent  between  Bethel  and  Hai.  Here  he 
also  builded  an  altar,  and  called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord.  From 
Bethel,  Abraham  proceeded  southward  through  what  was  after- 
wards the  land  of  Judah ;  but  encountering  a  grievous  famine,  he 
was  constrained  to  go  into  Egypt  for  bread.  He  found  a  Pharaoh 
on  the  throne,  at  the  head  of  an  organized  government.  The 
Egyptians,  however,  were  a  scattered  and  weak  people,  compared 
with  what  they  came  to  be  afterwards. 

S. — What  did  Abraham  do  in  Egypt  that  was  discreditable  to 
him  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  127 

F. — He  denied  his  wife.  Sarah  was  a  beautiful  woman ;  and 
Abraham  feared  to  be  known  as  her  husband,  lest  the  king,  or  some 
of  his  courtiers,  should  destroy  him  for  her  sake  ;  and  so  he  passed 
himself  off  as  her  brother,  and  persuaded  her  to  be  to  him  as  a  sister. 
She  was,  indeed,  his  half-sister,  as  I  have  before  said — "the  daugh- 
ter of  his  father,  but  not  of  his  mother."  Still,  there  was  an  equivo- 
cation practiced,  a  crooked  inconsistent  policy  pursued,  a  manifest 
want  of  faith  in  God,  which  was  altogether  unworthy  of  Abraham, 
and  which  might  be  expected  to  involve  the  parties  in  trouble. 
And  so  the  event  very  shortly  proved ;  for  Pharaoh,  being  pleased 
with  the  lady,  and  understanding  her  to  be  the  sister  of  Abraham, 
sent  and  took  her  to  himself.  He  also  treated  Abraham  well  for 
her  sake,  and  made  him  presents  of  sheep  and  oxen,  man-servants, 
and  maid-servants,  camels  and  asses.  But  Pharaoh  was  not  long 
deceived  in  regard  to  the  true  relation  between  Sarah  and  Abraham. 
He  learned  that  she  was  the  stranger's  wife ;  and  so,  sending  for 
Abraham,  he  sharply  reproved  him,  and  sent  him  away. 

S. — In  what  circumstances  did  Abraham  leave  Eg3q3t  ? 

F. — He  had  been  greatly  prospered  there,  and  had  become  very 
rich,  in  cattle,  in  silver,  and  in  gold.  He  returned  through  the 
southern  part  of  Canaan  ;  and,  coming  to  his  former  residence  be- 
tween Bethel  and  Hai,  he  repaired  the  altar  which  he  had  formerly 
built,  and  devoutly  called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

S. — Up  to  this  time,  Abraham  and  Lot  had  dwelt  together. 
What  led  them  now  to  separate  ? 

F. — Their  substance  had  so  much  increased,  and  their  circum- 
stances were  so  changed,  that  they  found  it  inconvenient  to  live  to- 
gether any  longer.  Their  cattle  mingled,  their  herdsmen  quarreled, 
and  their  flocks,  when  together,  required  a  wider  extent  of  pastur- 
age than  they  could  reasonably  claim  in  a  land  of  strangers.  In 
this  emergenc}^  Abraham  took  Lot  aside,  stated  the  case  to  him, 
and  kindly  proposed  that  he  should  make  choice  of  a  place  of  settle- 
ment for  himself.  "  Is  not  the  whole  land  before  thee  ?  Separate 
thyself,  I  pray  thee,  from  me.     If  thou  wilt  take  the  left  hand,  then 


/ 


128  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

I  will  go  to  the  right ;  or  if  thou  depart  to  the  right,  then  I  will  go 
to  the  left." 

;S'. — How  did  Lot  treat  this  generous  proposal  ?  In  what  direc- 
tion did  he  go  ? 

F. — He  decided  to  remove  to  the  fertile  regions  of  the  east  and 
south.  Perceiving  the  valley  of  the  Jordan  that  it  was  well 
watered,  even  as  the  land  of  Egypt,  or  the  garden  of  the  Lord,  he 
resolved  to  go  and  settle  there.  Proceeding  gradually  down  this 
fertile  valley,  he  came,  at  length,  to  the  plain  of  Sodom,  before  the 
cities  built  upon  it  had  been  destroyed. 


CONVERSATION  XV. 

ABRAHAM  TILL  THE  FORMATION  OF  A  CHURCH  IN  HIS  FAMILY.— Expedi- 
tion of  the  Four  Kiiij^s. — Capture  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. — Lot  and  Family  among 
the  prisoners. — Abraham  to  the  rescue. — Victory. — Abraham's  j^enerosity. — Melchize- 
dek. — Who  and  what  lie  wa.'i. — Without  father  or  mother. — Neither  beginning  of  days 
uor  end  of  life. — Jerusalem  before  the  Jews. — Relations  between  God  and  Abraham. — 
Sarah's  expedient. — Result  of  unbelief. — Ishmael. — A  church  established. — Significance 
of  circumcision. — Piety  of  Abraham. 

Son. — We  have  pursued  the  life  of  Abraham  until  the  time  of 
Lot's  separation  from  him.     Where  did  he  then  go? 

Father. — He  journeyed  southward  to  the  plains  of  Mamre,  not  far 
from  the  ancient  city  of  Hebron,  and  here,  as  was  his  invariable 
custom,  he  built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  He  formed  an  acquaint- 
ance too,  and  an  alliance,  with  some  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of 
the  place, — with  Mamre,  from  whom  the  locality  derived  its  name, 
and  Avith  his  two  brothers,  Aner  and  Eshcol. 

^S*. — What  sad  event  took  place  in  that  vicinity,  in  those  times  ? 

F. — Four  confederate  kingcs  or  chieftains,  from  the  land  of  Shinar 
and  of  Elam — that  old  cradle  of  the  human  race — sallied  forth  on  a 
war  of  conquest.  They  swept  over  the  intervening  countries,  con- 
quered the  Amorites  and  Amalekites  in  northern  Arabia,  and  came 
to  a  pitched  battle  with  the  kings  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  and 
others  who  were  confederate  Avith  them.  In  this  battle,  the  kings 
of  the  East  Avere  victorious  ;  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  and  the  neigh- 
boring cities  Avere  taken  ;  and  all  the  people, — among  whom  Avere 
Lot  and  his  family, — Avere  carried  aAvay  captives.  When  the  neAA'"s  of 
this  disaster  reached  Abraham,  he  Avas  greatly  distressed  by  it,  par- 
ticularly at  the  fate  of  Lot ;  and  he  resoh'ed  to  attempt  his  recoA^- 
ery.  He  armed  his  own  servants,  three  hundred  and  eighteen  men ; 
he  enlisted  his  confederates,  Mamre,  Aner,  and  Eshcol ;  and  by  long 
and  forced  marches,  he  OA^ertook  the  freebooters  at  a  place  in  Syria, 
called  Dan.*  He  came  upon  them  by  surprise,  in  the  night,  and 
smote  them,  and  pursued  them  unto  Hobah,  which  is  nigh  to  Damas- 

*Not  Dan  in  the  laud  of  Israel,  but  a  much  older  citv  iu  Svria.     2  Sara.  xxiv.  6. 
9 


130  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

cus.  This  expedition,  which  involved  a  march  of  from  three  to  four 
hundred  miles,  was  entirely  successful.  Abraham  recovered  and 
brought  back  all  the  spoil  which  the  conquering  kings  had  taken. 
He  brought  back  Lot  also,  and  all  his  goods,  and  all  the  captives, 
male  and  female. 

S. — Who  came  out  to  meet  Abraham,  on  his  return  with  the 
captives  ? 

F. — One  of  them  w^as  the  subdued  and  humbled  king  of  Sodom. 
And  he  said  unto  Abraham,  "  Give  me  the  persons,  and  take  the 
goods  to  thyself."  But  Abraham  declined  the  offer,  saying,  "  I 
have  lifted  up  my  hand  unto  the  Lord,  the  most  High  God,  the 
possessor  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  I  would  not  take  anything  that 
was  thine, — not  so  much  as  a  thread  or  a  shoe-latchet, — lest  thou 
shouldst  say,  I  have  made  Abraham  rich."  Another  great  person- 
age, who  came  out  to  congratulate  Abraham  on  his  victory,  was 
Melchizedek. 

S. — Who  was  this  Melchizedek  ?    What  was  he  ? 

F. — I  have  no  doubt  that  he  was,  just  what  he  is  represented  to 
be  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Genesis, — king  of  Salem,  a  city 
which  was  afterwards  called  Jerusalem,  and  also  a  priest  of  the  Most 
High  God.  He  united  in  himself, — as  did  the  more  ancient  patri- 
archs generally, — the  offices  of  king  and  priest.  He  brought  forth 
bread  and  wine  to  refresh  the  conquerors,  after  their  long  and  weary 
march.  He  also  blessed  Abraham  in  the  name  of  the  Most  High 
God,  and  in  consideration  of  his  sacred  as  Avell  as  royal  character, 
Abraham  gave  him  tithes  of  all  that  he  possessed. 

S. — How  are  we  to  understand  what  is  said  of  Melchizedek  in 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  he  "  was  without  father,  without 
mother,  without  descent,  having  neither  beginning  of  days,  nor  end 
life  "  (Heb.  vii.  3)  ? 

F. — I  acquiesce  in  the  opinion  of  the  most  judicious  interpreters, 
that  this  is  true,  not  literally,  but  genealogically.  The  Jews  made 
much  of  their  genealogies.  Every  one  must  have  his  genealogy, 
and  must  be  able  to  find  his  place  in  it.     He  who  could  not  point 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  131 

to  the  name  of  his  father  and  mother,  to  his  origin  and  descent  in 
the  genealogies,  was  said  to  have  none.  He  whose  birth  and 
death  could  not  be  indicated  was  said  to  have  no  beginning  of  days, 
or  end  of  life.  And  all  this  was  true  of  Melchizedek.  He  bursts 
upon  us  suddenly,  unexpectedly  in  the  history,  and  then  disappears 
forever  from  our  sight.  He  had  no  genealogy,  so  far  as  we  know, 
and  so  far  as  Moses  knew.  Genealogically  speaking,  he  was  with- 
out father,  mother  or  descent,  without  beginning  of  days,  or  end  of 
life. 

S. — What  relations  and  intercourse  subsisted  betAveen  God  and 
Abraham  in  these  times  ? 

F. — Abraham  had  frequent  and  delightful  communion  with  God. 
He  had  frequent  visions  and  revelations  from  God.  God  oft  re- 
peated his  f)i'oniise  of  a  numerous  posterity,  and  that  they  should 
inherit  the  land  to  which  he  had  come.  He  predicts,  indeed,  that 
previous  to  the  fulfillment  of  this  promise,  his  children  would  be 
brought  into  circumstances  of  great  trial  and  affliction.  "  Thy 
seed  shall  be  a  stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and  they  shall 
afflict  them  four  hundred  years.  But  that  nation  whom  they  shall 
serve  will  I  judge,  and  afterward  they  shall  come  out  with  great 
substance.     But  thou  shalt  go  to  thy  grave  in  peace." 

S. — For  the  greater  assurance  of  Abraham,  what  farther  was  God 
pleased  to  do  ? 

F. — He  confirmed  his  promises  to  Abraham  by  a  solemn  cove- 
nant, after  the  most  ancient  form  of  covenanting.  "  Take  me  a 
heifer  three  years  old,  and  a  she-goat  three  years  old,  and  a  ram 
three  years  old,  and  a  turtle-dove,  and  a  young  pigeon,  and  when 
thou  hast  slain  them,  divide  them  in  the  midst,  and  lay  the  pieces 
one  over  against  another."  Between  the  severed  pieces  Abraham 
is  supposed  to  have  passed,  to  denote  his  acceptance  of  the  cove- 
nant. And  when  the  sun  went  down,  the  Lord  also  passed  between 
them,  in  the  appearance  of  a  smoking  furnace  and  a  burning  lamp. 

This  is  the  most  ancient  form  of  ratifying  a  covenant  of  which 
we  have  any  knowledge.     We  have  a  similiar  form  in  the  Iliad  of 


132  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Homer.*  The  parties  passing  between  the  severed  pieces  of  the 
slaughtered  victims  were  understood  to  invoke  the  most  terrible 
judgments  on  themselves,  in  case  they  proved  unfaithful.  The  lan- 
guage of  the  transaction  was  virtually  this :  "As  the  bodies  of  these 
animals  are  cut  asunder,  so  may  our  bodies  be  mutilated,  in  case 
we  prove  j)erfidious," 

S. — How  did  Sarah  regard  God's  promise  of  a  numerous  pos- 
terity ? 

F. — Her  faith  began  to  fail,  at  least  so  far  as  she  was  concerned. 
She  was  still  childless,  and  had  no  prospect  of  ever  being  a  mother. 
In  her  anxiety  on  the  subject,  she  came  to  her  husband  with  a 
strange  proposal.  She  had  in  her  household  an  Egyptian  maid- 
servant named  Hagar, — probably  one  of  those  which  Pharaoh  gave 
to  her  when  she  came  out  of  Egypt, — and  she  proposed  to  her  hus- 
band to  take  Hagar  to  his  bed.  "It  may  be  that  I  may  obtain 
children  by  her.     And  Abraham  listened  to  the  voice  of  Sarah." 

S. — And  what  was  the  result  of  this  expedient  ? 

F. — As  it  originated  in  unbelief,  it  soon  began  to  bring  forth  the 
bitter  fruits  of  sin.  Hagar  was  no  longer  the  quiet,  submissive 
servant  that  she  had  been.  She  began  to  be  lifted  up  with  pride, 
and  to  despise  her  mistress  ;  and  this  provoked  Sarah  to  treat  her 
harshly  and  cruelly.  In  consequence  of  such  treatment,  Hagar  fled 
from  her  mistress,  probably  with  a  design  of  returning  into  Egypt. 
She  was  found  by  a  fountain  of  water  in  the  wilderness  on  the  way 
to  Shur.  Here  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  to  her,  promised 
her  a  son  and  a  numerous  posterity,  told  her  what  kind  of  charac- 
ter her  son  would  be,  and  encouraged  her  to  return  and  submit  her- 
self to  her  mistress.  Accordingly  she  did  return,  and  brought  forth 
a  son,  to  whom  the  angel  had  already  given  the  name  of  Ishmael. 

S. — Where  was  Abraham's  home  at  this  period  ? 

F. — It  was  for  many  years  at  Mamre.  A  prince  and  a  shepherd, 
he  lived  at  ease,  honored  and  beloved  by  all  his  acquaintance,  with 
his  numerous  flocks  and  his  household  around  him.     But  when  he 


*lliad,  Book  iii.,  line  388. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  133 

was  ninety  and  nine  years  old,  the  Lord  appeared  again  to  him, 
renewed  to  Inni  and  to  his  posterity  the  promise  of  Canaan,  and 
assured  him  tliat  he  should  have  a  numerous  seed  in  the  lines  not 
only  of  riagar  and  Ishmacl,  hut  of  Sarah.  "  Sarah  also  shall  have 
a  son,  and  I  M'ill  bless  her.  She  shall  be  a  mother  of  nations,  and 
kings  shall  spring  of  her." 

>S'. — What  great  design  did  God  propose  and  accomplish  at  this 
time  ? 

F. — The  formation  of  a  visible  church  in  the  family  of  Abraham, 
of  which  he  was  to  be  the  patriarchal  head.  The  world  was  fast 
relapsing  into  idolatry.  Men  "  did  not  like  to  retain  God  in  their 
knowledge,"  and  the  true  God  whom  they  had  rejected  was  about 
to  reject  them.  He  was  a[)0ut  to  give  them  up,  as  Paul  expresses 
it,  "to  vile  affections,"  and  "to  a  reprobate  mind."  Still,  God  will 
have  a  covenant  people  on  the  earth ;  and  his  original  design,  as 
I  have  before  said,  in  calling  Abraham  from  the  land  of  his  nativity, 
and  bringing  him  into  Canaan,  was  to  save  him  and  his  house  from 
the  contamination  of  idols,  and  preserve  the  true  religion  in  his 
family.  This  was  the  oljject  of  all  the  trials  to  which  he  had  been 
subjected,  and  of  the  revelations  and  promises  which,  from  time  to 
time,  had  been  made  to  him.  And  now,  Avhen  he  was  almost  a  hun- 
dred years  old,  the  great  design  was  to  be  consummated.  Accord- 
ingly, God  says  to  him :  "  I  am  the  Almighty  God ;  walk  before  me, 
and  be  thou  perfect.  And  I  will  establish  my  covenant  between  me 
and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee  in  their  generations,  to  he  a  God 
to  thee.,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee.  And  this  is  my  covenant  which 
ye  shall  keep  between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee  :  Every 
man  child  among  you  shall  he  circumcised.  Ye  shall  circumcise  the 
flesh  of  3'our  foreskin,  and  it  shall  be  a  tolcen  of  the  covenant  be- 
twixt me  and  you.  He  that  is  eight  days  old  among  you  shall  be 
circumcised,  every  man-child  in  your  generations  ;  and  my  cove- 
nant shall  be  in  your  flesh  for  an  everlasting  covenant.  And  the 
uncircumcised  man-child,  whose  flesh  of  his  foreskin  is  not  circum- 
cised, shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people.     He  hath  broken  my  cove- 


134  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


nant."  "  And  Abraham  took  Ishmael  his  son,  and  all  that  were 
born  in  his  house,  or  bought  with  his  money — every  male  among 
the  servants  of  Abraham,  and  circumcised  the  flesh  of  their  foreskin 
in  the  self-same  day,  as  God  had  said  unto  him.  And  Abraham 
was  ninety  and  nine  years  old  when  he  was  circumcised  "  (Gen. 
Chap.  xvii). 

S. — Are  we  sure  that  we  understand  aright  the  significance  of 
this  transaction? 

F. — After  the  explanation  of  it  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible,  more 
especially  in  the  writings  of  Paul,  the  design  and  import  of  it  can 
hardly  be  mistaken.  God  here  propounds  a  covenant  to  Abraham 
and  to  his  household,  into  which  they  enter.  A  visible  token  is 
appended  to  the  covenant,  which  all  the  males  of  the  family  receive. 
They  are  thus  constituted  God's  visible  covenant  i^cople — in  other 
words,  his  church.  Hence,  from  this  time,  God  begins  to  speak  of 
the  posterity  of  Abraham,  or  such  of  them  as  adhered  to  the  cove- 
nant, as  his  people.,  and  to  speak  of  himself  as  their  covenant  God. 

S. — What  is  the  significance  of  circumcision?  What  does  the 
rite  import  ? 

F. — It  imports  the  cutting  off  from  the  heart  of  all  carnal  affec- 
tions ;  in  other  words,  the  circumcision  of  the  heart.,  which  is  the 
same  as  regeneration.  Thus  the  command,  "  Circumcise  the  fore- 
skin of  your  heart,"  is  equivalent  to  another  Divine  command, 
"  Make  you  a  new  heart,  and  a  new  spirit." 

S. — Had  this  covenant  with  Abraham  anything  more  than  a  lit- 
eral signification  ? 

F. — Yes  ;  it  had  a  spiritual  signification,  which  the  patriarch  and 
his  pious  descendants  undoubtedly  understood.  Thus  the  promise 
of  a  seed  in  which  all  the  nations  and  families  of  the  earth  should 
be  blessed,  was  understood  to  be  a  promise  of  Christ,  and  of  the 
blessings  of  the  gospel.  So  the  promise  of  a  numberless  posterity 
looked  beyond  the  literal  descendants  of  Abraham,  and  includes 
all  true  believers  in  Christ.  And  the  promise  of  Canaan  for  an 
everlasting  possession  included  more  than  an  earthly  inheritance. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  135 

It  looked  to  a  better,  that  is  a  heavenly  country — the  Canaan  of 
everlasting  rest. 

F. — Do  you  think  that  true  piety  was  required  in  the  covenant 
with  Abraham  ? 

F. — I  have  not  a  doubt  of  it.  Can  a  covenant  which  requires 
the  circumcision  of  the  heart,  or  regeneration,  and  in  which  God 
says,  "  Walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  perfect,"  and  the  visible  token 
of  which  is  represented  as  "  the  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  faith," 
— can  such  a  covenant  require  anything  less  than  true  piety  of  those 
who  enter  into  it?  That  there  were  hjqDOcrites  in  the  church  of 
Israel — at  times,  many  hypocrites,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  And  so 
there  have  been  hj'pocrites  in  the  Christian  church ;  but  then  this 
does  not  impair  the  validity  of  the  church  or  its  covenant.  All 
persons  Avho  unite  with  our  evangelical  churches  must  be  either 
pious  persons,  or  hypocrites  ;  and  the  same  was  true  of  those  con- 
nected with  the  church  of  Israel. 

S. — Had  there  been  no  visible  church  in  the  world  till  the  time 
of  Abraham? 

F. — Yes,  there  was  a  church,  and  I  think  a  visible  church,  before 
the  flood.  But  all  the  old  patriarchal  institutes  had  been  perverted 
and  corrupted ;  the  whole  world  was  lapsing  together  into  idolatry ; 
and  if  the  church  of  God  was  to  be  perpetuated,  new  and  extraordi- 
nary measures  must  be  adopted.  Hence,  the  call  of  Abraham  from 
the  land  of  his  nativity,  and  God's  repeated  appearances  and  reve- 
lations to  him,  and  at  length  the  formal  institution  of  a  church  in 
his  family,  with  a  solemn  covenant,  and  a  new  and  significant 
initiatory  rite. 


CONVERSATION  XVI. 

ABRAHAM  TILL  HIS  DEATH.— Angels'  visit.— Interview.— Eatiug  natural  food.— 
Who  the  chief  angel  was. — Abraham's  plea  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. — Treatment  of 
the  angels  of  Sodom. — Their  message  to  Lot.— Peril  of  Lot.— Abraham  viewing  tlie 
destruction  of  the  cities.— Pillar  of  salt.— Profane  writers  concerning  it. — The  vicinity 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  on  fire  for  years. — Recent  discoveries. — Abraham  again  denies 
his  wife. — Birth  of  Isaac. — Character  of  Ishmael. — Isaac  on  the  altai-. — Mount  Moriah. 
— Interesting  circumstances. — Sarah's  death  and  burial. — Second  wife. — Abraham's  will. 
— His  death. 

Son. — A  memorable  event  occurred  at  Mamre,  shortly  after  the 
circumcision  of  Abraham  and  his  household.  Will  you  please  de- 
scribe it? 

Father. — As  Abraham  was  sitting  in  his  tent-door,  he  saw  three 
strangers  coming  towards  him.  He  rose  from  his  seat,  went  forth 
to  meet  them,  and  bowed  himself  to  the  ground ;  and  addressing 
himself  to  the  chief  one  of  them,  he  said :  "  My  lord,  I  pray  thee 
turn  not  away  from  thy  servant,  but  let  a  little  water  be  brought  to 
wash  your  feet,  and  rest  yourselves  under  this  tree;  and  I  will 
bring  bread,  and  comfort  ye  your  hearts ;  and  afterwards  ye  shall 
pass  on."  A  noble  example  this  of  primitive,  patriarchal  hospital- 
ity !  The  strangers,  who  seemed  to  be  men,  acceded  to  the  request 
of  Abraham,  and  a  bountiful  repast  was  soon  provided.  To  this 
they  sat  down;  and  while  the  patriarch  waited  upon  them,  they 
did  eat. 

S. — How  could  these  celestial  visitants  eat  natural  food  ? 

F. — Perhaps  they  assumed  natiiral  bodies  for  the  occasion ;  in 
which  case  they  really  ate,  like  other  men.  Or  if  we  suppose  them 
to  have  had  no  other  than  spiritual  bodies,  then  their  eating  would 
have  been  only  apparent.  At  any  rate,  they  seemed  to  eat.  And 
while  the  repast  was  going  on,  one  of  them  inquired  for  Sarah ;  and 
upon  being  told  that  she  was  in  the  tent,  he  said :  "  I  will  surely 
return  at  the  appropriate  time,  and  Sarah  shall  have  a  son."  This 
conversation  was  overheard  by  Sarah,  and  because  of  the  strange- 
ness and  the  improbability  of  the  assurance,  she  laughed  at  it.     And 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  137 

when  she  was  reproved  for  her  kiughter  and  unbelief,  she  denied 
that  she  did  laugh.  But  the  Lord,  who  now  plainly  discovered 
himself  to  be  a  Divine  messenger,  said,  "  Nay,  but  thou  didst  laugh." 

S. — At  the  close  of  the  repast,  and  as  the  strangers  rose  to  de- 
part, what  occurred  ? 

F. — Abraham  accompanied  them  a  little  way,  when  the  chief  of 
them  (who  was  now  understood  to  be  but  a  visible  manifestation 
of  the  Lord  Jehovah)  acquainted  Abraham  with  his  purpose  to 
destroy  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  for  their  wickedness,  grounding  the 
fearful  revelation  on  his  peculiar  favor  to  Abraham,  and  the  assur- 
ance he  had  that  he  would  command  his  children  and  his  household 
after  him,  and  that  they  would  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord  to  do 
justice  and  judgment. 

S. — What  had  become  of  the  two  accompanying  angels? 

F. — They  had  gone  forward  on  the  way  to  Sodom,  while  Abra- 
ham remained  communing  with  the  Lord.  And  here  we  have  those 
remarkable  intercessions  for  a  guilty,  debauched,  and  abandoned 
city  which  we  find  recorded  in  the  eighteenth  chapter  of  Genesis : 
"  Wilt  thou  destro}'  the  righteous  with  the  wicked  ?  That  be  far 
from  thee.  Lord,  to  do  after  this  manner,  that  the  righteous  should 
be  as  the  wicked.  Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  ? 
Peradventure,  there  be  fifty  righteous  in  the  city ;  or  if  not  fifty, 
forty ;  or  if  not  forty,  there  must  be  thirty  ;  or  twenty  certainly;  or 
at  least  ten!'''  And  the  Lord  said,  "  I  will  not  destroy  the  city,  if 
only  ten  righteous  persons  are  found  in  it."  Abraham  could  pro- 
ceed no  further.  He  could  ask  no  more.  He  ceased  praying,  and 
returned  to  his  place. 

*S'. — How  were  the  tAVO  angels  treated  at  Sodom  ? 

F. — They  were  kindly  received  by  Lot,  and  conducted  to  his 
house  ;  but  here  they  were  beset  by  riotous  men,  whose  lust  and 
passion  could  by  no  means  be  restrained,  until  they  were  miracu- 
lously struck  with  blindness,  and  groped  in  vain  to  find  the  door. 

*S'. — What  message  did  the}'  bring  to  Lot  ? 

F. — They  warned  him  of  the  impending  destruction  of  Sodom, 


138  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

and  directed  him  to  get  his  family  and  his  substance  together,  and 
be  ready  in  the  morning  to  leave  the  city.  And  when  there  was 
some  delay  in  the  morning,  the  angels  hastened  Lot.  They  even 
laid  hold  of  him,  and  his  wife,  and  his  two  daughters,  and  brought 
them  forth  without  the  city,  and  said,  "  Escape  for  thy  life ;  look 
not  behind  thee ;  tarry  not  in  all  the  plain,  lest  thou  be  consumed." 
And  Lot  fled  into  Zoar  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  And  the  Lord 
rained  upon  Sodom  brimstone  and  fire  out  of  heaven,  and  over- 
threw those  cities,  and  all  the  inhabitants  thereof,  and  all  that 
grew  upon  the  ground.  And  Lot's  wife — who  was  a  heathenish, 
wicked  woman — looked  back  from  behind  him,  and  she  became  a 
pillar  of  salt. 

S. — Was  Abraham  soon  ajDprised  of  this  destruction  ? 

F. — Yes  ;  he  rose  early  in  the  morning  and  went  to  the  place 
where  he  had  stood  before  the  Lord,  and  looked  off  towards  Sodom, 
and  towards  the  plain  on  which  it  was  built,  and  lo  !  the  smoke  of 
the  country  Avent  up,  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace. 

S. — What  can  you  tell  us  of  the  place  where  these  burned  cities 
stood  ? 

F. — It  became,  as  Moses  tells  us,  "a  salt  sea."  The  same  is 
called  the  Asphaltites,  or  Dead  Sea.  The  Jordan  and  several 
smaller  streams  pour  their  waters  into  it ;  but  it  has  no  visible  outlet. 
The  waters  are  carried  off,  probably,  by  an  abundant  evaporation. 

This  remarkable  collection  of  water  is  about  seventy  miles  long 
from  north  to  south,  with  an  average  breadth  of  from  ten  to  twenty 
miles.  It  properly  consists  of  two  parts.  The  northern  portion, 
into  which  the  Jordan  enters,  is  very  deep ;  the  southern  part  is 
shallow.  The  deeper  portion  was  probably  a  sea  before  the  destruc- 
tion of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  ;  the  southern  or  shallow  portion  is 
thought  to  have  been  the  ancient  plain  of  Siddim,  on  which  the 
doomed  cities  stood.  On  the  eastern  shore  of  this  shallow  portion 
is  the  site  of  the  ancient  Zoar,  into  which  Lot  and  his  daughters 
escaped.  Further  east  are  the  mountains  of  INIoab  into  which  they 
wandered,  and  where  Lot  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  139 

S. — What  became  of  the  pillar  of  salt  ? 

F. — There  was  a  pillar  of  mineral  salt  standing  here  as  late  as 
the  time  of  Josephus,  which  he  tells  us  he  had  seen.  A  remarkable 
pillar  of  salt  is  still  standing  there.  It  was  seen  by  Lieutenant 
Lynch  and  his  party  in  the  year  1848,  and  has  been  seen  by  many 
others. 

S. — Are  there  any  notices  of  this  event  among  heathen  writers  ? 

F. — There  are  many  such.  Diodorus  Siculus,  after  having  de- 
scribed the  lake  Asphaltites,  says,  that  in  his  day,  the  adjacent 
country  was  still  on  fire,  and  sent  forth  a  grievous  smell,  to  which 
he  imputes  the  sickliness  and  short  lives  of  the  neighboring  inhabit- 
ants.* Strabo,  having  made  mention  of  the  same  lake,  tells  us  that 
the  craggy  and  burnt  rocks  and  caverns  round  about,  and  the  soil 
all  turned  to  ashes  and  dust,  give  credit  to  a  report  amo]ig  the 
people,  that  formerly  several  cities  stood  there,  of  which  Sodom  was 
the  chief,  but  that,  by  earthquakes  and  out-breaking  fires,  some  of 
them  were  entirely  swallowed  up,  and  others  were  forsaken  of 
their  inhabitants.!  Tacitus  describes  the  lake  much  after  the  same 
manner,  and  then  adds  that,  not  far  from  it  are  fields,  now  barren, 
which  once  were  fruitful,  being  adorned  with  large  cities  which 
were  burnt  with  lightning,  and  that  the  country  still  retains  traces 
of  their  destruction.:}: 

*S'. — Have  any  attempts  been  made  in  modern  times  to  verify  the 
destruction  of  the  ancient  Sodom  ? 

F. — Only  a  few  years  ago.  Lieutenant  Lynch,  an  American  offi- 
cer, explored  the  Jordan  and  the  Dead  Sea,  under  a  commission 
from  the  United  States  government.  Near  the  close  of  his  journal, 
this  gentleman  says :  "  We  entered  the  Dead  Sea  with  conflicting 
opinions.  One  of  our  party  was  skeptical,  and  another  a  professed 
unbeliever  of  the  Mosaical  account.  After  a  close  investigation  of 
twenty-two  days,  we  were  unanimous  in  the  conviction  of  the  truth 


*Lib.  xix. 
tLib.  X. 
JLib.  V. 


140  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  the  scriptural  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  cities  of  the  plain. 
I  record  with  diffidence  the  conclusions  we  have  reached,  as  a  pro- 
test against  the  shallow  deductions  of  would-be  unbelievers.* 

S. — What  became  of  Lot,  after  the  destruction  of  Sodom? 

F. — He  retired  with  his  two  daughters  into  the  mountains  east  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  and  dwelt  there  in  a  cave.  The  Bible  records  faith- 
fully the  story  of  his  incest  with  his  daughters,  and  of  the  two  sons, 
Moab  and  Amraon  which  were  born  unto  him.  From  these  de- 
scended the  Moabites  and  Ammonites,  who  stood  in  close  relation  to 
the  Israelites,  and  of  whom  we  hear  so  much  in  the  sacred  history. 

S. — Did  Abraham  continue  to  reside  at  Mamre,  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  Sodom  ? 

F. — He  did  not.  The  remembrance,  and  perhaps  the  stench,  of 
the  ruined  cities  was  disagreeable  to  him.  He  came  and  dwelt 
among  the  Philistines  at  Gerar,  whose  king  was  Abimelech. 

S. — What  are  some  of  the  incidents  of  his  residence  at  Gerar  ? 

F. — He  fell  into  the  same  error  here,  which  he  had  formerly  com- 
mitted in  Egypt.  He  denied  his  wife,  passing  her  off  as  his  sister ; 
whereupon  Abimelech  took  her,  and  was  about  to  make  her  his  own 
wife.  But  God  warned  him  of  his  danger  in  a  dream,  told  him  who 
Sarah  was,  and  bade  him  restore  her  to  her  husband.  So  Abimelech 
called  Abraham,  reproved  him  for  the  deception  he  had  practiced, 
gave  him  back  his  wife,  and  with  her  valuable  presents — sheep  and 
oxen,  man-servants  and  maid-servants.  He  also  gave  him  full  per- 
mission to  dwell  anywhere  in  his  country  that  he  chose. 

S. — What  very  interesting  event  took  place  in  Abraham's  family 
about  this  time  ? 

F. — The  promise  of  God  so  oft  repeated  to  him  was  fulfilled,  and 
Sarah  brought  forth  a  son.  They  called  his  name  Isaac,  as  the  Lord 
had  commanded,  and  on  the  eighth  day  he  was  circumcised.  And 
the  child  grew  and  was  weaned  ;  and  Abraham  made  a  great  feast 
at  the  weaning  of  Isaac. 

S. — What  became  of  Ishmael  after  this  ? 


*  Lyuch's  Narrative,  p.  380. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  141 

F. — Sarah  became  displeased  with  him,  and  demanded  that  he 
and  his  mother  should  be  sent  away.  Abraham  loved  Ishmael,  and 
was  unwilling  to  comi^ly  ;  but  having  taken  counsel  of  God,  he 
yielded  to  what  he  found  to  be  the  Pivine  pleasure.  He  directed 
Hagar  to  take  her  son,  with  provisions  and  water,  and  to  go  out  into 
the  wilderness,  intending,  no  doubt,  to  provide  for  her  future  wants. 
She  departed  into  the  desert  of  Beer-sheba,  where  she  and  her  son 
came  nigh  perishing  with  thirst.  But  an  angel  appeared  unto  her, 
as  he  had  done  on  a  former  occasion,  led  her  to  a  fountain  of  water, 
and  so  preserved  their  lives.  And  here  Ishmael  remained  with  his 
mother,  grew  up  to  manhood,  and  became  a  skillful  archer  and 
hunter.     His  mother  took  him  a  wife  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

S. — What  kind  of  man  was  Ishmael,  and  Avho  are  his  descendants  ? 

F. — It  had  been  predicted  of  Ishmael  that  he  would  be  a  wild 
man ;  that  his  hand  would  be  against  every  man,  and  every  man's 
hand  against  him ;  but  that  he  should  live  in  the  presence  of  his 
brethren.  It  had  been  predicted,  too,  that  he  would  be  fruitful  and 
multiply,  and  that  his  seed  would  become  a  great  nation.  And  all 
this  has  been,  and  is,  remarkably  fulfilled.  He  had  himself  twelve 
sons,  who  are  spoken  of  as  princes,  having  castles  and  towns  (Gen. 
XXV.  16).  Partly  by  overcoming  the  original  settlers  of  Arabia,  and 
partly  by  mingling  with  them,  Ishmael  is  regarded  as  the  patriarch 
and  progenitor  of  the  Arabs, — a  people  that  never  have  been  con- 
quered, and  perhaps  never  will  be.  The  Greeks,  the  Romans,  and 
the  Parthians  made  vigorous  attempts  to  overcome  the  Arabians  ; 
but  without  success.  Ishmael's  hand  Avas  against  every  man,  and 
every  man's  hand  against  him ;  and  still  he  lived  in  the  presence  of 
his  brethren.  In  later  times,  the  Arabs,  under  the  name  of  Saracens, 
attacked  the  Romans,  took  from  them  the  greater  part  of  their 
dominions,  and  established  a  vast  empire  of  their  own.  The  hordes 
of  Arabia  remain  to  this  day,  the  same  wild,  roving,  indej)endent, 
and  unconquerable  people,  fulfilling,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  the 
jDredictions  which  were  uttered  respecting  them  almost  four  thou- 
sand years  ago. 


142  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Where  was  the  home  of  Abraham  during  his  long  residence 
in  the  hmd  of  the  Philistines  ? 

F. — Chiefly  at  Beer-sheba,  the  southernmost  point  of  the  posses- 
sions of  Israel  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

S. — What  interesting  event  took  place  in  these  days  ? 

F. — It  was  while  Abraham  resided  here,  that  he  received  that 
most  trying  and  mysterious  injunction :  "  Take  now  thy  son,  thine 
only  son  Isaac,  and  get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah,  and  offer  him 
there  as  a  burnt  offering  upon  one  of  the  mountains  that  I  shall  tell 
thee  of." 

S. — Could  such  a  command  as  this  have  possibly  come  from  God  ? 
And  if  it  did,  was  it  the  duty  of  Abraham  to  obey  it  ? 

F. — I  see  no  difficulty  in  the  case.  God  did  not  command  Abra- 
ham to  murder  his  son — to  slay  him  with  malicious  intent.  Such  a 
command  God  could  not  have  given ;  nor,  if  he  had,  could  it  have 
been  the  duty  of  Abraham  to  comply  with  it.  God  required  noth- 
ing of  Abraham  which  he  might  not  perform  in  the  exercise  of  the 
holiest  and  best  affections.  God  had  a  better  right  to  Isaac  than 
Abraham  had.  He  had  given  the  son,  and  he  had  a  right  to  take 
him  away  in  any  manner  he  pleased, — whether  by  sickness,  by  wild 
beasts,  by  some  sudden  stroke  of  providence,  or  by  the  hand  of  his 
own  father.  "  Go  to  Mount  Moriah,  and  there  offer  up  thy  son  as  a 
burnt  sacrifice  upon  my  altar."  Abraham  saw,  at  once,  that  God 
had  a  right  to  lay  such  an  injunction  upon  him,  and,  with  his  usual 
promptness,  he  prepared  to  obey.  He  was  cheered,  no  doubt,  by 
the  thought  that  if,  in  obedience  to  God,  he  took  the  life  of  his  son, 
that  life  might  be  restored.  God  could  raise  him  from  the  dead, 
and  fulfill,  through  him,  all  his  past  assurances  of  a  numerous  pos- 
terity. 

iS. — Where  was  Mount  Moriah  ? 

F. — Moriah  was  the  mountain  on  which  Solomon  afterwards  built 
the  temple  (2  Chron.  iii.  1).  One  part  of  it  was  probably  Calvary, 
where  our  Lord  was  crucified.  It  could  not  have  been  less  than  a 
hundred  miles  from  Beer-sheba  to  this  place.     Accordingly  we  are 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  143 

told  that  Abraham  did  not  reach  it  until  the  third  day  after  com- 
mencing his  journey. 

S. — But  Abraham  did  not  sacrifice  his  son  after  all. 

F. — He  intended  to  do  it ;  he  expected  to  do  it.  He  bound  his 
son,  and  laid  him  upon  the  altar,  and  took  the  knife  in  his  hand  to 
slay  him.  But  as  the  trial  was  now  complete,  the  Lord  interposed 
to  prevent  the  sacrifice. 

S. — What  was  the  design  of  God  in  this  strange  transaction  ? 

F. — His  design  was,  first,  to  try  the  faith  and  the  obedience  of 
Abraham.  As  he  was  to  be  "  the  father  of  the  faithful,"  the  patri- 
arch and  visible  head  of  God's  covenant  people,  it  was  proper  that 
his  faith  should  be  severely  tried.  Then,  secondly,  this  transaction 
was  designed,  undoubtedly,  to  furnish  to  Abraham,  and  through 
him  to  the  whole  ancient  church,  a  type,  a  symbol,  of  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ.  As  Abraham,  in  effect,  offered  up  his  son  so  God  would, 
in/«c^,  offer  uj)  his.  He  would  do  it  on  the  same  mountain,  per- 
haps in  the  same  place.  The  consent  of  the  victims,  in  both  cases, 
was  gained.  A  more  striking  emblem  of  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
could  not  possibly  have  been  given  to  the  ancient  church,  than 
was  furnished  in  the  transaction  of  which  we  have  spoken. 

S. — On  leaving  Beer-sheba,  where  did  Abraham  remove  ? 

F. — He  came  to  Hebron,  near  Mamre,  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 
And  here  Sarah  died,  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven — 
thirty-seven  years  after  the  birth  of  Isaac.  And  when  the  mourn- 
ing for  Sarah  was  ended,  Abraham  applied  to  the  children  of  Heth — 
the  native  inhabitants  of  Hebron,  for  a  burying  place,  in  which  to 
deposit  the  remains  of  his  long  loved  companion.  The  Hittites 
generously  proposed  to  him  to  occupy  any  of  their  sepulchres  ;  but 
he  declined  their  proposal,  requesting  that  he  might  purchase  the 
cave  of  Machpelah,  and  hold  it  as  a  place  of  burial.  The  owner  of 
the  cave  now  proposed  to  give  it  to  Abraham,  without  money  or 
price.  But  this  generous  offer  Abraham,  in  the  most  respectful 
manner,  declined,  choosing  rather  to  purchase  it,  at  its  full  value. 
To  gratify  him,  a  price  was  now  set  upon  it,  which  was  promptly 


144  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

paid.  "  Abraham  weighed  unto  Ephron,  the  owner  of  the  land,  the 
jn'iee  whicli  he  had  named,  viz..,  four  hundred  shekels  of  silver,  cur- 
rent money,  with  the  merchant.*  And  the  field, and  the  cave,  and 
all  the  trees  that  were  in  the  field,  were  made  sure  unto  Abraham 
in  the  presence  of  the  children  of  Heth."  When  the  contract  had 
been  finished,  Abraham  buried  his  wife  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah ; 
and  there,  after  a  time,  he  was  buried  himself.  And  so  were  Isaac 
and  Rebecca,  and  Jacob  and  Leah  buried  there,  and  perhaps  other 
members  of  the  same  familj^f 

S. — What  course  did  Abraham  pursue  in  order  to  procure  a  wife 
for  his  son  Isaac  ? 

F. — He  conferred  with  Eliezer,  the  chief  steward  of  his  house, 
and  charged  him  that  he  should  not  take  a  wife  for  his  son  of  the 
daughters  of  Canaan :  but  "  go  to  my  country,"  i.  e.  to  Haran, 
"  and  to  my  kindred,  and  take  a  wife  unto  my  son  from  thence." 
Aiid  the  more  strictly  to  bind  his  steward  to  a  faithful  performance 
of  his  wishes,  he  administered  to  him  a  solemn  oath, — telling  him,  at 
the  same  time,  that  if  he  came  to  Haran,  and  a  suitable  woman  of 
their  kindred  would  not  return  with  him,  he  .should  be  clear  of  the 
oath  which  he  had  taken. 

Thus  charged,  Eliezer  set  out  on  his  long  journey,  with  a  retinue 
of  servants  and  camels  suitable  to  his  master's  quality  and  state. 
Of  the  incidents  of  the  journey  we  are  not  informed.  We  only 
know  that  in  good  time  he  arrived  at  Haran,  whence  Abraham  had 
emigrated  some  sixty-five  years  before,  and  where  he  had  left  his 
brother  Nahor.  Here  he  rested  his  camels  at  evening  by  a  well,  and 
lifted  up  his  heart  in  prayer  to  God  for  his  direction  and  blessing. 
He  prayed  that,  from  among  the  young  Avomen  who  should  come 
out  of  the  city  to  the  well,  God  would  clearly  indicate  to  him  the 
one  whom  he  had  raised  up  to  be  the  wife  of  Isaac.  And  his  prayer 
was  heard.     Without  going  into  all  the  particulars  of  the  wonder- 


*About  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  dollars  of  our  money. 

tOver  this  cavern  now  stands  a  Turkish  mosque,  into  which  no  Jew  or  Christian  has 
been  permitted^  until  very  recently,  to  enter. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  145 

ful  story,  suffice  it  to  say  that,  while  he  was  yet  praying,  Rebecca, 
a  grand-tlaiigliter  of  Nahor,  and  a  second  cousin  of  Isaac,  came  out 
to  the  Avell  witli  lier  })itcher  for  water.  She  answered  to  all  the 
conditions  Avhich  Eliezer  had  mentioned  in  his  prayer,  so  that  he 
knew,  at  once,  that  she  was  the  person  for  whom  he  was  sent.  He 
made  himself  known  to  her,  gave  her  valuable  presents,  and  was 
invited  to  her  father's  house.  He  here  told  his  story,  circumstan- 
tially, from  beginning  to  end,  and  when  he  was  through  he  said : 
"  Now,  if  ye  will  deal  kindly  and  truly  with  my  master,  tell  me  ; 
and,  if  not,  tell  me ;  that  I  may  turn  to  the  right  hand,  or  to  the 
left."  And  Bethuel,  the  father  of  Rebecca,  and  Laban,  her  brother, 
answered  and  said :  "  The  thing  proceedeth  from  the  Lord  ;  we 
cannot  speak  unto  thee  good  or  bad.  Behold  Rebecca  is  before 
thee  ;  take  her  and  go,  and  let  her  be  thy  master's  son's  wife,  as  the 
Lord  hath  spoken."  So,  with  the  full  consent  of  Rebecca,  she  was 
sent  away  on  the  morrow,  with  her  nurse  and  other  female  servants, 
and  in  a  little  time  became  the  wife  of  Isaac. 

S. — After  the  marriage  of  Isaac,  what  change  took  place  in  the 
family  of  Abraham  ? 

F. — Though  Abraham  was  now  a  hundred  and  forty  years  old, 
it  may  be  said  of  him,  as  it  was  afterwards  of  Moses,  "  his  eye  was 
not  dim,  neither  was  his  natural  force  abated."  He  was  a  healthful 
and  vigorous  old  man,  enjoying  in  peace,  plenty,  and  honor,  the 
fruits  of  a  temperate  and  upright  life.  Isaac  was  happily  married 
and  settled  ;  and  the  father  began  to  think  that  it  might  conduce 
to  his  happiness  to  be  married  also.  He  was  at  this  time  only  ten 
years  older  than  Terah  was  at  his  birth,  and  of  the  same  age  with 
Terah  at  the  birth  of  Sarah. 

S. — Who  was  the  second  wife  of  Abraham  ? 

F. — She  was  Keturah,  a  pious  woman,  probably  of  his  own  house- 
hold. She  bare  him  six  sons,  viz.  :  Zimran,  Jokshan,  Medan,  Mid- 
ian,  Ishbak  and  Shual.  These  all  settled  in  Arabia,  mingling  more 
or  less  with  the  Moabites  and  Ishmaelites,  and  became  heads  of 
houses  or  of  nations  in  that  sunny  land. 

10 


146  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Where  did  Abraham  reside,  after  his  second  marriage  ? 

F. — We  are  not  particularly  informed.  It  must  have  been  in  the 
extreme  south  of  Canaan, — perhaps  at  Hebron,  or  Beer-sheba,  or 
possibly  still  further  south,  at  the  well  Lahai-roi.  At  this  place  we 
know  that  Isaac  dwelt,  after  his  father's  death  (Gen.  xxv.,  11). 

S. — What  disposition  did  Abraham  make  of  his  property  ? 

F. — Although  Abraham  had  other  sons,  he  well  knew  that  Isaac 
was  the  child  of  promise.  It  was  through  him  that  the  blessings  of 
the  covenant  were  to  come  upon  the  world.  Accordingly,  his  sub- 
stance in  the  land  of  Canaan  was  all  given  to  Isaac  ;  while  to  his 
other  children  he  gave  gifts,  and  sent  them  away. 

>S'. — When  did  Abraham  die  ? 

F. — Laden  with  honors  and  with  years,  he  died  at  the  age  of  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five,  thirty-five  years  after  his  marriage  to 
Keturah.  It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  his  other  sons  united  with 
Isaac  in  paying  honors  to  the  venerable  patriarch  at  his  funeral. 
He  was  buried,  as  I  said,  in  the  cave  at  Machpelah,  where  more  than 
forty  years  before,he  had  deposited  the  remains  of  his  beloved  Sarah. 


CONVERSATION  XVII. 

REFLECTIONS  ON  THE  LIFE  OF  ABRAHAM.— His  reputation  among  the  na- 
tions.— Sivilled  in  Celestial  Science. — Ancient  historians  regarding  him. — The  Moham- 
medan Koran. — A  beautiful  story. — A  Persian  legend. — Abraham's  faith. — Abraham  as 
an  example. — His  transgressions. — His  name  honored  by  posterity. 

Son. — It  might  be  expected  that  a  man  so  eminent  for  wisdom 
and  goodness  as  Abraham,  and  so  well  known  in  all  the  principal 
countries  of  the  East,  would  leave  some  memorial  of  himself,  beyond 
the  time  of  his  own  posterity.     Do  we  find  it  so  ? 

Father. — We  do.  The  name  of  Abraham  was  long  known  not 
only  among  the  Israelites,  but .  in  other  ancient  nations.  Thus 
Berosus,  the  Chaldean,  speaks  of  him  as  "  a  man  righteous  and 
good,  and  skilled  in  celestial  science."  Hecateus,  who  resided  at 
the  court  of  the  Ptolemies  in  Egypt,  wrote  a  work  in  his  praise. 
Nicolaus  of  Damascus  tells  of  his  coming  out  of  Chaldea  into  Syria, 
and  thence  removing  into  Canaan,  where  his  posterity  became 
exceeding  numerous.  Eusebius  quotes  Eupolemus  and  Antipanus, 
heathen  authors,  both  of  whom  make  honorable  mention  of  Abra- 
ham, and  note  some  of  the  principal  events  in  his  history. 

aS'. — I  have  heard  of  interesting  legends  respecting  Abraham 
among  the  Mohammedans ;  will  you  repeat  some  of  them  ? 

F. — The  following,  which  I  give  in  the  language  of  the  Koran, 
indicates  the  manner  in  which  (amidst  prevailing  idolatries)  the 
mind  of  Abraham  became  established  in  the  doctrine  of  one  God : 
"  When  night  overshadowed  him,  and  Abraham  saw  a  star,  he  said, 
TJiis  is  my  Lord.  But  when  the  star  set,  and  was  out  of  sight,  he 
said,  I  will  not  have  this.  Then  the  moon  arose,  and  he  said,  This  is 
my  Lord.  But  the  moon  went  down  also,  and  he  said.  If  I  worship 
this,  I  shall  be  led  astray.  Next,  the  sun  arose,  and  he  said,  This, 
surely,  is  my  God.  But  when  the  sun  was  gone,  he  cried,  O  my 
people  !  I  am  clear  of  all  these  things.  I  now  turn  my  face  to  Him 
who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth.''"' 

S. — This  is  a  beautiful  story.     Can  you  think  of  another  ? 


148  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — I  have  another  in  mind,  which  is  of  Persian  origin,  showing 
how  Abraham  learned  to  be  tolerant  in  religion.  I  quote  from 
Jeremy  Taylor's  Liberty  of  Prophesying  :  "  When  Abraham  sat  in 
his  tent  door,  as  his  custom  was,  waiting  to  entertain  strangers,  he 
saw  a  venerable  man  coming  towards  him,  leaning  on  his  staff, 
weary  with  age  and  travel,  who  was  a  hundred  years  old.  He 
received  him  kindly  into  his  tent,  washed  his  feet,  provided  him  a 
supper,  and  caused  him  to  sit  down.  But  observing  that  the  old 
man  did  not  ask  a  blessing  on  his  meat,  he  inquired  the  reason. 
The  old  man  replied  that  he  worshiped  fire,  and  no  other  god.  At 
this,  Abraham  grew  angry,  thrust  him  out  of  his  tent,  and  exposed 
him,  unsheltered,  to  all  the  evils  of  the  night.  Then  God  called  to 
Abraham  out  of  heaven,  and  asked  where  the  stranger  was.  I 
thrust  him  out  of  my  tent,  said  he,  because  he  does  not  worship 
thee.  But  God  answered,  I  have  suffered  him  these  hundred  years, 
though  he  dishonored  me ;  and  couldst  thou  not  endure  him  for  a 
single  night  ?  Upon  hearing  this,  Abraham  took  him  back  again, 
and  gave  him  hospitable  entertainment  and  good  instruction." 

S. — This  is  too  good  to  be  a  fiction.  It  is  worthy  of  Abraham 
himself. 

The  history  of  Abraham,  over  which  we  have  passed,  is  of  great 
importance  to  us  as  an  example.  That  its  good  lessons  may  not  be 
lost  upon  us,  will  you  please  to  indicate  some  of  them  specifically  ? 

F. — He  was,  indeed,  an  example  to  his  spiritual  children  of  nearly 
every  grace  and  virtue  of  religion.  His  life  serves  to  illustrate,  first 
of  all,  the  nature  and  the  efBcacy  of  faith — that  faith  which  springs 
from  the  heart,  and  controls  the  life.  When  Abraham  received  a 
revelation  from  God  he  believed  it ;  and  when  a  command,  growing 
out  of  such  revelation,  was  issued,  he  obeyed  it.  Thus  when  called 
to  leave  his  country,  and  go  to  a  foreign  land,  he  went.,  asking  no 
questions.  And  when  called  to  the  dreadful  act  of  sacrificing  his 
son,  he  did  the  same.  He  prepared,  at  once,  to  make  the  sacrifice, 
trusting  in  God  to  fulfill  his  promise  in  raising  him  from  the  dead. 

*S'. — I  have  often  admired  Abraham's  patience  in  waiting  upon  God. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  149 

F. — You  are  right  in  this ;  and  here  is  another  point  in  which  he 
is  an  example.  We  are  apt  to  be  in  a  hurry,  expecting  God  to  ful- 
fill his  promises  riijlit  off,  in  our  own  way  and  time,  or  not  at  all. 
But  Abraham  understood  God's  method  of  dealing  with  his  crea- 
tures better  than  this.  Abraham  had  an  early  promise  of  a  numer- 
ous posterity  ;  but  it  was  twenty-five  long  years  after  he  entered 
Canaan,  before  the  child  of  promise  was  born.  He  had  promise 
after  promise  that  the  land  of  Canaan  should  be  given  to  his  pos- 
terity for  a  possession  ;  but  he  lived  not  to  see  the  fulfillment  of 
these  promises.  Still,  he  doubted  not  that  the}^  would  be  fulfilled ; 
and  in  God's  own  way  and  time,  they  were. 

iS. — The  devotional  spirit  of  Abraham  was  very  manifest. 

F. — It  was  so  indeed  ;  and  here  again  we  have  him  for  an  exam- 
ple. He  loved  God,  and  loved  his  worship.  He  loved  to  have 
communion  with  him  in  acts  of  Avorship.  Accordingly,  wherever 
he  pitched  his  tent, — at  Sichem,  at  Bethel,  at  Mamre,  at  Beer- 
sheba, — from  the  time  of  his  coming  into  Canaan  to  the  day  of  his 
death,  we  find  him  erecting  an  altar,  and  calling  on  the  name  of  the 
Lord.  Such  was  his  habit,  his  course  of  life  everywhere.  No  one 
could  spend  a  day  in  Abraham's  family,  without  understanding  that 
he  was  a  friend  and  worshiper  of  the  God  of  heaven. 

jS. — Can  you  think  of  any  other  points  in  which  Abraham  may 
be  held  up  as  an  example  ? 

F. — Yes ;  look  at  his  worldly  integrity/  and  generosity.  Witness 
his  generous  treatment  of  Lot,  when  he  told  him  to  take  his  choice 
in  what  part  of  the  land  to  dwell.  "  If  thou  wilt  take  the  right 
hand,  then  I  will  go  to  the  left ;  or  if  thou  depart  to  the  left  hand, 
then  I  will  go  to  the  right."  Witness  his  generous  treatment  of 
those  who  suffered  in  the  sacking  of  Sodom.  "  I  will  not  take  from 
thee  so  much  as  a  thread,  or  a  shoe-latchet,  lest  thou  shouldst  say, 
I  have  made  Abraham  rich."  Witness  also  his  persistent  upright- 
ness, in  purchasing  the  field  of  Machpelah  of  the  children  of  Heth. 
How  much  have  Christians  in  our  own  time  to  learn  of  Abraham, 
in  regard  to  this  matter  of  worldly  integrity  ! 


150  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

I  might  notice  many  other  traits  in  which  Abraham  Avas  an  ex- 
ample to  us  all.  Witness  his  princely  hospitality  in  receiving  the 
strangers  who  came  to  him  at  INIamre,  when  he  had  the  honor  of 
"  entertaining  angels  unawares."  Witness  his  deep  feeling  and 
anxiety  for  sinful  men  about  to  be  destroyed,  as  evinced  in  his  fer- 
vent intercessions  for  the  Sodomites.  This  was  very  like  Paul,  who 
could  not  speak,  without  weeping,  of  those  who  were  enemies  of  the 
cross  of  Christ ;  or  rather  it  was  like  the  great  Seed  of  Abraham, 
who  beheld  Jerusalem  from  the  brow  of  Olivet,  and  wept  over  it. 

And  when  he  came  to  the  close  of  life,  Abraham  was  an  example 
to  all  heads  of  families,  in  making  a  satisfactory  disposition  of  his 
worldly  estate.  He  set,  not  only  his  heart,  but  his  house  in  order. 
He  made  large  gifts  to  Ishmael,  and  the  sons  of  Keturah,  and  sent 
them  away  ;  while  Isaac,  as  the  son  of  promise,  he  retained  and 
richly  endowed  in  the  land  of  Canaan. 

S. — Still,  you  do  not  regard  Abraham  as  a  perfect  man. 

F. — No  ;  he  did  not  claim  to  be  ;  nor  is  he  so  set  before  us  in  the 
Scriptures.  His  denial  of  his  wife,  in  two  separate  instances,  was 
strangely  inconsistent  with  his  general  character,  and  was  followed 
(as  such  expedients  generally  are)  with  unpleasant  results.  His 
consenting  to  Sarah's  proposal  in  regard  to  Hagar,  was  also  a  blot 
upon  his  character,  which  no  length  of  years  can  entirely  obliterate. 

S. — Abraham,  it  seems,  was  mortal,  like  the  rest  of  us. 

F. — Yes ;  though  he  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  he  could  not  live 
always.  Though  he  sustained  his  probation,  and  performed  his  part 
nobly  on  the  earth,  and  left  behind  him  a  name  second  to  that  of  no 
mere  man  in  point  of  honor  and  influence,  yet  he  could  not  escape 
the  stroke  of  death.  Like  the  long  line  of  patriarchs  who  had  gone 
before  him,  he  died.  His  dust  still  reposes  in  the  cave  at  Machpelah, 
awaiting  the  resurrection  of  the  just. 


CONVERSATION  XVIII. 

ISAAC  TO  HIS  DEATH.— The  birth  of  Jacob  and  Esau.— Heads  of  two  nations.— 
Esau's  birthright  sold  for  a  mess  of  pottage. — What  is  signified. — Isaac  like  his  father 
denies  his  wife. — Isaac  in  the  laud  of  the  Philistines. — His  departure. — Esau's  marriage 
and  its  consequences. — Esau  losing  the  blessing. — His  grief. — Jacob  threatened  witli 
vengeance. — Flight  of  Jacob. — Character  of  Isaac. 

Son. — We  have  heard  something  of  the  life  of  Isaac,  but  not  all. 
Please  tell  us  more  of  him  and  his  posterity. 

Father. — For  twenty  years  after  his  marriage  he  continued  child- 
less, when  Rebecca  was  delivered  of  two  sons  at  a  birth.  Esau 
and  Jacob  had  been  the  subjects  of  much  prayer,  and  of  divine 
predictions,  before  they  were  born.  It  had  been  foretold  that  they 
would  be  the  fathers  of  two  nations — of  two  sorts  of  people  ;  and 
that  the  elder  should  serve  the  younger.  Esau,  the  elder  of  the 
two  brothers,  was  a  hairy  man,  a  cunning  hunter,  a  man  of  the  field  ; 
but  Jacob  was  a  plain  man,  a  shepherd,  dwelling  in  tents.  Esau 
was  the  special  favorite  of  his  father,  but  Jacob  of  his  mother. 
These  boys  were  fifteen  years  old,  when  their  grandfather  Abraham 
dfed.  They,  no  doubt,  had  often  seen  him,  and  had  the  benefit  of 
his  counsels  and  prayers. 

S. — We  are  told,  in  Genesis  25th,  and  in  other  Scriptures,  that 
Esau  sold  his  birthright  to  Jacob  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  Pray  tell 
us  what  this  means  ?  What  was  it  precisely  which  Jacob  bought, 
and  Esau  sold? 

F. — It  was,  undoubtedly,  the  rights  and  privileges  which,  accord- 
ing to  patriarchal  usages,  belonged  to  the  first-born.  Among  these 
pre-eminently,  in  the  case  before  us,  were  those  covenant  blessings 
which  belonged  to-  Abraham  and  Isaac.  These  were  what  Esau 
despised,  and  sold  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  These  were  what,  when 
the  blessings  had  been  given  to  Jacob,  he  could  not  recover,  "  though 
he  sought  them  earnestly  with  tears."  It  was  the  selling  of  these 
rich  covenant  blessings  for  a  mess  of  pottage,  which  led  the  Apostle 
to  speak  of  him  as  a  "profane  person  "  (Heb.  xii.  16). 


152  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tS. — Did  Isaac  remove  from  place  to  place,  like  his  father  ? 

F. — He  did  not.  He  seems  never  to  have  traveled  far  from  his 
birthplace,  in  the  extreme  south  of  Canaan.  He  purposed,  in  a 
season  of  famine,  to  go  into  Egypt ;  but  the  Lord  prohibited  him, 
saying :  "  Sojourn  in  this  land,  and  I  will  be  with  thee,  and  bless 
thee ;  "  repeating,  at  the  same  time,  the  rich  covenant  blessings 
which  had  been  so  often  made  to  his  father.  So  Isaac  turned  aside, 
and  dwelt  at  Gerar — only  a  short  distance  from  his  usual  abode. 

S. — Here  he  found  an  Abimelech  on  the  throne, — was  it  the  same 
who  so  kindly  received  his  father  ? 

F. — Probably  not,  but  rather  one  of  his  sons  or  descendants. 

Here  Isaac  fell  into  the  same  error  which  his  father  had  committed 
before  him,  viz.,  the  denial  of  his  wife.  He  said  of  Rebecca  that 
she  was  his  sister ;  being  afraid  to  call  her  his  wife,  lest  the  people 
of  the  land  should  kill  him  for  her  sake.  But  Abimelech  soon  dis- 
covered that  she  was  his  wife,  and  sharply  reproved  Isaac  for  his 
deception.  He  did  not,  however,  send  him  away,  or  inflict  upon 
him  any  punishment.  So  far  from  this,  he  granted  him  protection, 
saying  to  his  people :  "  Whoever  toucheth  this  man  or  his  wife,  with 
intent  to  injure  them,  shall  surely  be  put  to  death." 

S. — How  long  did  Isaac  reside  among  the  Philistines  at  Gerar  ? 

F. — He  was  here  several  years,  and  was  remarkably  prospered  in 
all  his  worldly  interests.  The  seed  which  he  sowed  yielded  him  a 
hundred  fold.  He  had  flocks  and  herds,  and  great  store  of  servants. 
His  prosperity,  at  length,  excited  the  envy  of  the  Philistines,  and 
they  began  to  annoy  him.  They  filled  up  the  wells  which  his  father 
had  digged  ;  and  when  the  servants  of  Isaac  digged  new  wells,  the 
herdsmen  of  Gerar  strove  with  them,  and  drove  them  away.  At 
length  Abimelech  came  to  Isaac  and  said :  "  Go  from  us,  for  thou 
art  mightier  than  we."  So  Isaac  departed  unto  Beer-sheba,  and 
built  an  altar  there,  and  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord;  and  the 
Lord  appeared  to  him,  and  blessed  him,  and  confirmed  to  him  the 
promises  which  were  so  often  made  to  Abraham  his  father. 

tS. — Please  tell  us  of  Esau's  marriage,  and  its  consequences. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  153 

F. — When  Esau  was  forty  years  old,  without  consulting  his  par- 
ents, he  connected  himself  in  marriage  with  two  Canaanitish  women, 
viz.^  Judith  and  Bashemath,  of  the  daughters  of  Heth.  And  these, 
it  is  said,  "  were  a  grief  of  mind  to  Isaac  and  Rebecca ;  "  or,  as  the 
Septuagint  translates  it,  "  they  quarreled  with  Isaac  and  Rebecca." 
At  any  rate,  the  connection  was  an  unhapj)y  one,  which  served  more 
than  ever  to  alienate  the  heart  of  Rebecca  from  her  eldest  son. 
Still,  they  seem  to  have  lived  together,  or  near  to  each  other,  at 
Beer-sheba,  or  Mamre,  or  Hebron,  for  a  series  of  years.  Isaac,  a 
quiet  old  gentleman,  was  the  head  of  the  household ;  Esau  was  an 
expert  hunter,  who  supplied  his  father  with  venison,  of  which  he 
was  very  fond ;  while  Jacob  had  charge  of  the  flocks  and  herds. 

S. — Pray  tell  us  how  Jacob  managed  to  secure  his  father's  bless- 
ing, which  was  intended  for  Esau. 

F. — When  Isaac  was  a  hundred  and  thirty-five  years  old,  and 
his  eyes  Avere  dim  that  he  could  not  see,  he  one  day  directed  Esau  to 
take  his  quiver  and  bow,  and  go  out  into  the  field  and  secure  some 
venison  ;  "  and  make  me  savory  meat,"  said  he,  "  such  as  I  love, 
that  I  may  eat,  and  that  my  soul  may  bless  thee  before  I  die."  And 
Esau  did  as  his  father  commanded.  He  went  to  the  field  to  hunt 
for  venison. 

Meanwhile  Rebecca, — who  had  heard  what  had  passed,  and  who 
was  resolved  that  the  paternal  blessing  should  rest,  not  on  the  head 
of  Esau,  but  on  that  of  Jacob, — called  her  younger  son,  and  con- 
certed with  him  a  plan, by  which  her  purpose  might  be  carried  into 
effect:  "  Go  now  to  the  flock,  and  fetch  me  from  thence  two  kids  of 
the  goats,  and  I  will  make  of  them  savory  meat  such  as  3^our  father 
loveth ;  and  thou  shalt  bring  it  to  him  that  he  may  eat  and  may 
bless  thee  before  his  death."  But  Jacob  objected.  "  Though  my 
father  cannot  see,  he  can  feel ;  and  as  Esau  is  a  hairy  man,  and  I  am 
a  smooth  man,  he  will  put  forth  his  hand  to  feel  of  me,  and  will 
know  that  I  am  a  deceiver;  and  so  shall  I  bring  a  curse  upon 
myself,  and  not  a  blessing. 

S. — And  what  did  his  mother  say  to  tliis  objection  ? 


154  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


E. — "  Trust  me  for  that,"  said  she,  "  only  do  as  I  have  directed." 
So  Jacob  went  and  brought  the  kids  to  his  mother.  And  she  made 
the  savory  meat,  and  she  took  Esau's  raiment  and  i^ut  it  upon 
Jacob ;  and  she  put  the  skins  of  the  kids  upon  his  hands,  and  on 
the  smooth  part  of  his  neck ;  and  told  him  to  take  the  meat  and 
carry  it  to  his  father.  He  did  so  ;  and  by  dint  of  deception  and 
falsehood,  effectually  imposed  upon  the  good  old  man,  and  secured 
to  himself  the  blessing  which  was  intended  for  Esau ;  "  God  give 
thee  of  the  dew  of  heaven,  and  the  fatness  of  the  earth,  and  plenty 
of  corn  and  wine.  Let  peoples  serve  thee,  and  nations  bow  down 
to  thee.  Cursed  be  every  one  that  curseth  thee,  and  blessed  be  he 
that  blesseth  thee." 

^S*. — And  what  took  place  when  Esau  returned,  and  the  cheat  was 
discovered  ? 

E. — Both  Esau  and  his  father  were  greatly  distressed.  Esau 
wept  aloud  and  said,  "  Hast  thou  but  one  blessing,  my  father  ! 
Bless  me,  even  me,  also,  O  my  father  !  "  Overcome  by  his  entreaties, 
Isaac  bestowed  upon  Esau  such  a  blessing  as  he  could;  not  to 
revoke  that  which  had  been  given  to  Jacob,  but  in  consistency  with 
it ;  "  Behold  thy  dwelling  shall  be  the  fatness  of  the  earth,  and  of 
the  dew  of  heaven  from  above.  By  thy  sword"  thou  shalt  live,  and 
shalt  serve  thy  brother ;  and  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  thou  shalt 
have  the  dominion,  that  thou  shalt  break  his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck." 

S. — For  this  deception  and  falsehood  on  the  part  of  Jacob  and  his 
mother,  is  there  any  good  excuse  ? 

F. — I  think  not.  It  is  no  excuse  for  them  that,  in  securing  the 
blessing  as  they  did,  they  were  fulfilling  a  Divine  purpose,  which 
had  been  disclosed  even  before  Jacob  and  Esau  were  born.  The 
means  which  they  used  were  altogether  unworthy  of  them.  They 
were  base  and  sinful ;  and  in  resorting  to  them,  they  have  left  a 
stain  upon  their  characters,  which  no  length  of  years  can  wash  away. 
No  wonder  that  Esau  was  offended  with  his  brother;  and  we 
scarcely  wonder  that,  in  the  heat  of  his  anger,  he  should  threaten 
his  brother's  life. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  155 

>S'. — In  these  alarming  circumstances,  what  did  Rebecca  do  ? 

F. — To  screen  her  beloved  Jacob  from  danger  she  proposed  to 
him  to  flee  to  Haran,  to  the  house  of  her  brother  Laban,  "and  there, 
remain  until  Esau's  anger  should  abate.  And  to  secure  the  consent 
of  Isaac  to  the  proposal,  she  coupled  with  it  another  object.  "  I  am 
weary  of  my  life,"  said  she,  "  because  of  the  daughters  of  Heth.  If 
Jacob  shall  take  a  wife  from  among  them,  what  good  shall  my  life 
dome?" 

The  thought  here  suggested  struck  Isaac  most  agreeably.  So  he 
called  Jacob  to  him,  and  charged  him  not  to  take  a  wife  of  the 
daughters  of  Canaan  ;  but  "  Go  thou  to  Padan-Aram "  (another 
name  for  Haran),  "  to  the  house  of  Bethuel,  thy  mother's  father, 
and  take  thee  a  wife  of  the  daughters  of  Laban,  thy  mother's 
brother."  And  having  renewed  his  blessing  upon  Jacob,  he  sent 
him  away. 

S. — How  old  was  Jacob  at  this  time  ? 

F. — He  was  about  seventy-five  years  of  age.  The  particulars  of 
his  journey,  of  his  residence  in  the  family  of  Laban,  and  of  his 
return  to  Canaan  after  the  lapse  of  some  twenty  years,  will  be 
treated  of  in  another  place.  Rebecca  supposed,  probably,  that  he 
would  be  absent  but  a  little  while.  She  expected  him  soon  to  re- 
turn, with  one  of  her  nieces  for  his  wife,  to  be  a  comfort  to  her  in 
her  declining  years  ;  but  the  probability  is  that  she  never  saw  him 
more.  She  seems  to  have  died  some  twenty  years  after  this, — about 
the  time  that  Jacob  left  Padan-Aram  for  Canaan, — and  was  buried 
in  the  cave  at  Machpelah. 

*S'. — What  do  we  hear  of  Isaac  after  this  ? 

F. — Very  little  that  is  of  general  interest.  He  continued  to 
reside  at  Mamre,  until  the  return  of  Jacob,  after  an  absence  of  about 
thirty  years,  twenty  of  which  were  spent  with  Laban,  and  ten  at 
Shechem  and  Bethel,  in  the  more  northerly  parts  of  Canaan. 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  of  the  character  of  Isaac  ? 

F. — He  was  without  doubt  a  truly  pious  man.  With  less  capac- 
ity  or  enterprise   than  either  Abraham  or  Jacob,  he   was   distin- 


156  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

guished  chiefly  for  the  virtues  of  social  and  domestic  life      If  he 
never  startles  us  by  any  stirring  adventures  or  great  undertakings 
he  was  one  whom  all  about  him  must  have  respected  and  loved' 
PIis  name  is  still  an  honored  one,and  shall  go  down  with  honor  to 
the  end  of  the  world. 


CONVERSATION  XIX. 

JACOB  TO  THE  DEATH  OF  HIS  FATHER.— Jacob's  journey.— His  dream.— His 
vow. — Marries  his  two  cousins. — Has  tAvelve  sons  and  one  daughter. — Separation  from 
Laban. — The  stolen  images. — Jacob  wrestles  with  the  angel. — Fulfills  his  vow. — Benja- 
min born. — Rachel's  death. — Her  monument  standing  at  the  present  time. — Jacob  re- 
turns to  his  father. — Isaac's  death  and  burial. 

Son. — In  our  last  conversation,  we  pursued  the  history  of  Jacob 
to  the  time  of  his  being  sent  from  home,  to  escape  the  wrath  of  his 
brother  Esau.  His  subsequent  life  must  be  one  of  great  interest. 
Will  you  assist  us  farther  in  the  study  of  it  ? 

Father. — The  journey  from  Beer-sheba,  in  the  extreme  south  of 
Canaan,  to  Haran  or  Padan-Aram,  beyond  the  Euphrates,  cannot 
be  less  than  five  hundred  miles.  The  circumstances  of  the  case 
required  that  Jacob  should  be  sent  away  privately,  without  any 
parade,  or  extensive  outfit.  He  entered  upon  his  long  journey  on 
foot  and  alone.  As  to  the  incidents  of  it,  we  only  know  what  took 
place  at  Bethel.  As  he  passed  along  in  weariness  and  solitude, 
oppressed  with  a  sense  of  his  cares  and  dangers,  night  overtook  him 
in  a  certain  place,  where  was  no  dwelling  and  no  inhabitant.  The 
sun  was  set ;  and  with  a  stone  for  his  pillow,  and  the  canopy  of 
heaven  for  a  covering,  he  laid  him  down  to  rest.  In  his  sleep,  he 
was  favored  with  a  most  remarkable  vision.  He  saw  a  ladder 
standing  upon  the  earth,  the  top  of  which  reached  unto  heaven  ; 
and  behold  the  angels  of  God  were  ascending  and  descending  upon 
it.  And  the  Lord  Jehovah  stood  above  it,  and  there  graciously 
repeated  and  confirmed  the  promises  which  had  before  been  made 
to  Abraham  and  to  Isaac.  "  The  land  on  which  thou  liest,  to  thee 
will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed  ;  and  thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of 
the  earth;  and  thou  shalt  spread  abroad  to  the  east  and  to  the  west, 
and  to  the  north  and  to  the  south  ;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the 
families  of  the  earth  be  blessed.  And  behold  I  am  with  thee,  and 
will  keep  thee  in  all  places  whither  thou  goest ;  and  I  will  bring 


158  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tliee  again  into  this  land  ;  for  I  will  not  leave  thee  until  I  have 
accomplished  all  that  which  I  have  promised." 

S. — How  was  Jacob  affected  by  this  revelation  ? 

F. — The  vision  which  he  had  seen,  the  voice  he  had  heard,  filled 
the  mind  of  the  patriarch  with  holy  awe.  He  exclaimed,  as  he 
awoke,  "  Surely,  the  Lord  is  in  this  place,  and  I  knew  it  not !  How 
dreadful  is  this  place  !  This  is  none  otlier  than  the  house  of  God, 
and  the  gate  of  heaven !  "  He  set  up  the  stone  on  which  he  had 
rested,  for  an  anointed  pillar,  and  called  the  name  of  it  Bethel — the 
house  of  God.  And  he  vowed  a  vow,  saying,  "  If  God  will  be  with 
me,  and  keep  me  in  the  way  in  which  I  shall  go,  and  will  give  me 
bread  to  eat  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so  that  I  come  again  to  my 
father's  house  in  peace,  then  shall  the  Lord  be  my  God ;  and  of  all 
that  the  Lord  shall  give  me,  I  will  surely  give  a  tenth  unto  thee." 
From  this  time,  Jacob  seems  to  have  been  another  man.  I  have 
always  regarded  the  scene  at  Bethel  as  the  time  of  his  conversion. 

S. — How  was  Jacob  prospered  in  the  remainder  of  his  journey, 
and  what  was  the  result  of  it  ? 

F. — Encouraged  by  the  Divine  promises,  he  went  joyfully  on  his 
way,  and  soon  came  to  the  place  of  his  destination.  Almost  the 
first  person  he  saw  was  Rachel,  the  daughter  of  his  uncle,  Laban,  who 
came  to  water  her  father's  flock.  He  made  himself  known  to  her, 
assisted  her  in  watering  the  sheep,  was  at  once  invited  to  Laban's 
house,  and  became  a  member  of  his  family.  And  here  he  remained 
twenty  years,  having  the  principal  charge  of  Laban's  flocks.  Four- 
teen years  he  served  his  uncle  for  his  two  daughters,  Leah  and 
Rachel,  and  six  years  he  attended  the  herds  and  flocks  upon  shares, 
a  certain  portion  of  the  increase  belonging  by  contract,  to  himself. 

S. — And  how  was  Jacob  prospered  in  these  years  ? 

F. — During  his  last  six  years  with  Laban,  he  was  prospered 
greatly.  His  substance  increased  so  rapidly,  as  to  excite  the  envy 
of  Laban  and  his  sons.  They  said :  "  Jacob  hath  taken  away  all 
that  was  our  father's,  and  of  that  which  was  our  father's  hath  he 
gotten  all  this  wealth." 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  159 

Meanwliile,  Jacob's  family  liad  increased.  He  had  become  the 
father  of  twelve  children,  eleven  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  began 
to  think  that  it  was  time  for  him  to  provide  more  distinctly  for  his 
own,  and  that,  in  order  to  do  this,  he  must  return  to  Canaan.  In- 
deed, he  was  admonished  so  to  do  by  an  express  revelation  from  God. 
So  he  called  for  his  wives,  Leah  and  Rachel,  explained  to  them  his 
purpose,  and  readily  obtained  their  consent  and  approbation. 

S. — How  did  Jacob  manage  to  get  away  ? 

F. — He  took  his  wives  and  his  children,  his  flocks,  his  herds,  and 
all  his  substance,  and  departed  secretly  from  Padan-Aram,  while 
Laban  was  absent  shearing  his  sheep.  Jacob  had  been  gone  three 
days,  before  Laban  heard  of  it.  He  then  collected  a  great  company 
and  pursued  after  Jacob,  and  on  the  seventh  day  overtook  him  in 
Mount  Gilead.  This  mountain  was  about  forty  miles  east  of  the 
sea  of  Galilee,  in  a  region  called,  in  the  New  Testament,  Trachonitis, 
almost  to  Canaan. 

S. — What  was  Laban's  object,  in  so  hotly  pursuing  his  son-in-law  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly  to  capture  him,  and  force  him  to  return ;  but 
the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  a  dream,  and  warned  him  to  desist: 
"Take  care  that  thou  do  nought  to  Jacob,  either  good  or  bad." 
So  they  met ;  and,  after  some  mutual  chiding  and  reproof,  entered 
into  a  covenant.  And  they  made  a  great  heap  of  stones,  and  called 
it  G-ilead,  i.  e.  witness  ;  because  it  was  to  remain  a  token,  a  witness, 
to  the  contracting  parties,  and  having  feasted  together,  Jacob  and 
his  father-in-law  parted  in  peace,  and  Laban  returned  to  his  place. 

>S'. — Was  idolatr}^  practiced  at  this  time  in  the  family  of  Laban. 

F. — It  certainly  was  ;  and  one  of  the  complaints  of  Labari  against 
Jacob  was,  that  he,  or  some  of  his  company,  had  stolen  his  images. 
But  Rachel,  who  had  taken  them,  had  so  effectually  concealed 
them,  that  they  could  not  be  found.  We  learn  from  this  fact,  not 
only  that  Laban  and  his  family  were  idolaters,  but  that  Rachel  her- 
self had  not  been  weaned  from  the  detestable  practice. 

8. — Had  Jacob  any  other  dangers  to  apprehend,  after  parting 
with  Laban  ? 


160  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  had;  he  was  now  approaching  the  land  of  Canaan,  and 
must  expect,  ere  long,  to  meet  his  brother  Esau  ;  and  knowing  his 
brother's  long  cherished  resentment,  he  dreaded  the  result.  And 
though  he  was  encouraged  at  Mahanaim  by  a  vision  of  angels,  still 
his  mind  was  not  at  ease.  So  he  selected  some  of  his  more  trusty 
servants  and  sent  them  to  Mount  Seir  to  meet  Esau,  that  they 
might  tell  him  of  his  approach  to  Canaan  and  crave  his  forgiveness 
and  favor.  As  the  journey  from  Mahanaim  to  Mount  Seir  was 
more  than  a  hundred  miles,  the  embassage  must  have  occasioned 
no  little  delay.  And  when  the  messengers  returned,  their  report, 
instead  of  allaying  his  fears,  served  greatly  to  increase  them :  "  Thy 
brother  Esau  cometh  out  to  meet  thee,  and  four  hundred  men  with 
him  ?  " 

S. — No  wonder  Jacob  was  alarmed.  Encumbered  as  he  was  with 
his  wives  and  children,  his  flocks  and  his  herds,  and  having  few  or 
no  means  of  defense,  what  could  he  do  against  such  a  force  ? 

F. — Having  no  other  resource,  Jacob  betook  himself  to  prayer. 
"  O  Lord  God  of  my  fathers,  Abraham  and  Isaac,  the  Lord  which 
said  unto  me.  Return  unto  thy  country  and  I  will  deal  well  with 
thee  ;  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the  mercies,  and  of  all  the 
truth  which  thou  hast  showed  unto  thy  servant ;  for  with  ni}^  staff 
I  passed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I  am  become  two  bands. 
Deliver  me,  I  pray  thee,  from  the  hand  of  my  brother  Esau  ;  for  I 
fear  him,  lest  he  come  and  smite  the  mother  with  the  children." 

S. — Did  Jacob  satisfy  himself  with  mere  prayer  ? 

F. — He  did  not.  He  felt  the  necessity,  as  every  supplicant 
should,  of  uniting  means  with  prayers.  So  he  took  a  rich  j)resent  of 
goats  and  sheep,  of  camels,  kine  and  asses,  and  divided  them  into 
several  companies,  and  sent  them  forward,  one  after  another,  to 
meet  his  brother,  that,  if  possible,  he  might  appease  and  melt  him 
by  these  successive  gifts.  And  having  arranged  all  things  in  the 
best  possible  manner,  he  betook  himself  again  to  prayer.  He 
remained  all  night  alone  with  God,  and  had  a  most  remarkable 
manifestation  of  the  Divine  presence  and  favor.     A  man  appeared 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  161 

to  liim,  whether  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body  I  cannot  tell,  and 
wrestled  with  him  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  and  prevailed  not 
against  him.  This  wrestling,  though  literal,  was  but  the  symbol  of 
a  mightier  struggle  which  was  going  on  in  Jacob's  heart.*  Towards 
morning,  the  stranger, — seeing  he  could  prevail  in  no  other  way, — 
touched  the  hollow  of  Jacob's  thigh,  and  instantly  maimed  him. 
By  this  Jacob  knew,  if  he  did  not  know  before,  that  his  companion 
was  a  Divine  person  ;  and  this  only  made  him  the  more  importu- 
nate. So  when  the  Messenger  said,  "  Let  me  go  for  the  day  break- 
eth,"  Jacob  replied,  "  I  will  not  let  thee  go,  unless  thou  bless  me." 
A  remarkable  instance  this  of  power  and  perseverance  in  prayer. 
Jacob  obtained  the  desired  blessing.  He  obtained  also  this  noble 
testimony :  "  As  a  prince  hast  thou  power  with  God  and  with  man, 
and  hast  prevailed." 

Jacob's  prayer  and  his  success  are  beautifully  set  forth  in  one  of 
Wesley's  hymns,  beginning  thus : 

"  Come,  0  thou  traveler  unknown, 
Whom  still  I  hold,  but  cannot  see, 
My  company  before  is  gone. 
And  I  am  left  alone  with  thee. 
With  thee  all  niglit  I  mean  to  stay. 
And  wrestle  till  the  break  of  day." 

S. — What  was  the  result  of  this  importunate  and  persevering 
appeal  to  God  ?  "* 

F. — On  the  day  following,  Jacob  and  Esau  came  together,  and 
the  interview  was  one  of  great  kindness  and  tenderness.  Esau  ran 
to  meet  Jacob,  fell  on  his  neck  and  kissed  him ;  and  they  both  wept. 
Jacob  introduced  him  to  his  wives  and  children,  showed  him  his 
flocks  and  herds,  and  persuaded  him,  against  his  will,  to  accept  the 
presents  which  had  been  sent  him.  Esau,  on  his  part,  invited  Jacob 
to  accompany  him  to  Mount  Seir,  and  dwell  with  him ;  or  at  least 
to  accept  a  body  guard  to  conduct  him  and  his  family  into  Canaan ; 


*From  the  most  ancient  times,  wrestling  has  been  regarded  as  a  symbol  of  prayer.  To 
this  day,  the  religious  exercises  of  some  Orientals  consist  in  wrestling,  and  are  conducted 
often  with  such  vehemence  as  to  dislocate  the  joints.  See  Wolf's  Travels  and  Adventures, 
Chap.  22. 


162  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


both  which  offers  Jacob  thought  proper  to  decline.  The  brothers 
separated  with  the  strongest  professions  of  friendship  and  love ; 
and  though  they  must  often  have  met  afterwards,  they  seem  never 
to  have  quarreled  more. 

S, — Shortly  after  this,  Jacob  seems  to  have  crossed  the  Jordan, 
and  entered  the  land  of  Canaan.  Where  was  his  first  stopping 
place  ? 

F. — In  Shalem,  near  to  Shechem,  where  he  bought  a  piece  of 
ground,  and  built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  Here  Jacob  must  have 
remained  some  ten  or  twelve  years.  Why  he  was  not  more  in  haste 
to  pass  into  the  south  of  Canaan,  and  dwell  with  his  father,  we  do 
not  know.  While  Jacob  abode  here,  his  mother  died,  and  Deborah, 
Rebecca's  nurse,  came  to  reside  with  him  at  Shechem. 

,S'. — How  do  we  know  that  Jacob  remained  so  long  at  Shechem? 

F. — We  infer  it  from  the  fact  that  his  daughter  Dinah,  who  could 
not  have  been  more  than  five  or  six  years  old  when  he  left  Padan- 
Aram,  here  came  to  be  marriageable,  and  her  hand. was  earnestly 
sought  by  Shechem,  a  prince  of  the  country.  It  was  the  proposed 
match  between  Shechem  and  Dinah  which  led  to  the  removal  of 
Jacob.  By  some  means,  Shechem  had  got  possession  of  Dinah,  and 
had  dishonored  her.  This  so  provoked  her  brothers,  that  they  rose 
upon  the  Shechemites  and  slew  them.  This  outrage  was  committed 
without  the  knowledge  or  consent  of  Jacob.  He  was  distressed  on 
account  of  it ;  and  fearing  that  the  people  of  the  land  would  rise 
upon  him  and  destroy  him,  he  moved  his  residence  to  Bethel. 

S. — Had  Jacob  any  other  reason  for  going  to  Bethel  ? 

F. — He  had.  He  had  never  yet  fulfilled  the  vow  which  he  made, 
when  on  his  way  to  Padan-Aram,  that  if  the  Lord  would  be  with 
him,  and  return  him  in  safety  to  his  native  land,  then  the  Lord 
should  he  his  God,  and  the  stone  which  he  had  erected  should  be  to 
him  as  the  house  of  Grod,  and  a  sanctuary  for  his  worship. 

S. — What  did  Jacob  do  in  preparation  for  the  solemnities  at 
Bethel? 

F. — He  required  of  his  household  that  they  should  put  away  all 


1  love; 
1  never 

Jordan, 


m4 
stiiTe 
ioliaste 
we  do 


imestlj 
loposed 
oval  of 


ejiose 
liitted 
sedon 
Id  rise 


levith 
J  lie  to 
itiesat 
wvall 


-f  "^tltt  * 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  165 

the  strange  gods  that  were  among  them,  and  change  their  raiment, 
and  he  clean.  And  they  gave  up  their  idols  and  ear-rings,  and 
Jacob  took  them,  buried  them  under  an  oak  at  Shechem,  and  we 
hear  of  them  no  more. 

After  the  solemnities  at  Bethel,  God  appeared  again  to  Jacob, 
assuring  him  that  he  should  be  the  father  of  nations,  and  that  all 
the  land  of  Canaan  should  be  given  to  his  seed  for  a  possession. 

S. — What  was  Jacob's  next  remove  after  leaving  Bethel? 

F. — He  journeyed  southward,  and  came  to  Ephrath,  the  same  as 
Bethlehem.  Here  Rachel  died  in  childbed,  after  giving  birth  to  her 
second  son,  Benjamin.  She  was  buried  at  Ephrath,  and  Jacob  set 
up  a  pillar  upon  her  grave,  Avhich  was  standing  in  the  days  of 
Moses,  and  some  think  is  standing  at  the  present  time. 

From  Bethlehem,  Jacob  journeyed  still  farther  south,  and  came 
to  his  aged  father  at  Mamre.  He  may  have  personally  visited  him 
before,  but  he  had  now  come,  with  his  family  and  household,  to 
reside  with  him,  or  near  him,  and  be  his  support  and  comfort  in 
declining  years. 

S. — Is  anything  more  to  be  said  about  the  last  years  of  Isaac  ? 

F. — He  was  at  this  time  about  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  years 
old.  He  had  lost  his  eye-sight,  and  had  been  bereaved  of  his  wife  ; 
still,  he  seems  to  have  been  enjoying  a  quiet  old  age.  He  lived 
fifteen  years  after  the  return  of  Jacob,  and  died  at  the  advanced 
period  of  a  hundred  and  eighty, — five  years  older  than  his  father 
Abraham.  His  sons  were  both  present  at  his  burial,  and  seem  to 
have  come  to  an  amicable  division  of  his  estate.  Esau  took  his 
portion  and  departed  to  Mount  Seir.  Their  riches  were  too  great 
for  them  to  dwell  together. 


CONVERSATION  XX. 

JACOB  AND  HIS  FAMILY  UNTIL  THE  KECOGNITION  IN  EGYPT.— Jacob's 

partiality  for  Joseph. — Envy  of  the  brothers. — Their  crime. — Character  of  the  elder 
sons. — Joseph's  romantic  career. — Cause  of  the  Egyptian  famines. — Joseph's  brethren 
go  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn. — His  treatment  of  them. — Demands  Benjamin. — Grief  of 
Jacob  on  parting  with  his  youngest  sou. — Second  journey  iuto  Egypt. — Pathetic  scene 
in  Joseph's  palace. — The  hidden  cup. — Cou.sternation  of  the  brothers. — Judah's  eloquent 
appeal. — Joseph  sobs  aloud  and  reveals  himself. 

Son. — How  old  was  Jacob  when  he  returned  to  his  father? 

Father. — He  must  have  been  about  a  hundred  and  five  years  old. 
His  sons  were  several  of  them  grown  to  manhood.  As  his  numer- 
ous flocks  could  not  be  accommodated  with  pasturage  where  they 
were,  Jacob  trusted  his  sons  to  drive  them  to  a  distance  from  home, 
and  to  have  the  charge  of  them.  For  one  of  his  sons,  Jacob  had  a 
dangerous  partiality.  This  was  Joseph,  an  amiable  and  pious 
youth,  about  seventeen  years  of  age — the  first-born  of  his  beloved 
Rachel. 

aS'. — How  were  Jacob's  other  sons  affected  by  his  partiality  for 
Joseph  ? 

F. — It  excited  their  envy ;  and  this  was  increased  by  the  pro- 
phetic dreams  of  Joseph,  which  he  had  the  simplicity  to  relate, 
importing  that  the  whole  family  would,  at  some  day,  be  subordi- 
nated to  him.  Inflamed  by  their  prejudices,  the  elder  brothers 
meditated  mischief  against  Joseph ;  and  Providence  soon  enabled 
them  to  carry  their  plans  into  execution. 

S. — What  did  they  do  to  Joseph  ? 

F. — They  were  tending  their  father's  flocks  at  Dothan,  several 
miles  from  home  ;  and  Jacob  said  to  Joseph,  "  Go  and  see  if  it  be 
well  with  thy  brethren,  and  with  the  flocks,  and  bring  me  word 
again."  So  he  went  out  from  his  father  to  go  to  his  brethren ;  and 
when  they  saw  him  at  a  distance,  they  said  one  to  another,  "  Behold 
the  dreamer  cometh !  "  and  they  conspired  against  him  to  kill  him. 
They  were  dissuaded,  however,  from  this  bloody  purpose,  and  con- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  167 

eluded  to  sell  liim  into  slavery.  So  they  sold  liim  to  a  company  of 
Midianites  who  were  passing  by  into  Egypt,  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver.  At  the  same  time  they  took  his  coat — a  beautiful  coat 
which  a  father's  fondness  had  provided — smeared  it  with  the  blood 
of  a  kid,  and  sent  it  to  their  father,  hoping  in  this  way  to  satisfy 
him  that  Joseph  had  been  torn  in  pieces  by  ravenous  beasts.  And 
this  was  the  conclusion  to  which  Jacob  naturally  came  :  "  Joseph 
is,  without  doubt,  rent  in  pieces !  An  evil  beast  hath  devoured 
him  !  "  And  Jacob  rent  his  clothes,  put  sackcloth  on  his  loins,  and 
refused  to  be  comforted,  saying,  "  I  will  go  down  into  the  grave 
unto  my  son  mourning." 

S. — What  was  the  character  of  Jacob's  eldest  sons  at  this  time  ? 

F. — They  must  have  been  very  wicked,  unprincipled  young  men. 
They  could  not  have  had  the  training  and  instruction  which  Abra- 
ham bestowed  upon  his  children.  Their  mothers  were  probably 
idolaters,  envious  of  each  other,  and  often  at  variance.  Their 
father  was  much  from  home,  in  charge  of  Laban's  flocks  and  his  own ; 
he  had  little  opportunity  to  command  his  children  and  his  house- 
hold after  him  ;  and  they  grew  up  in  the  practice  of  wickedness. 
Witness  their  murder  of  the  Shechemites,  their  unfeeling,  inhuman 
treatment  of  Joseph,  and  their  cold-blooded  hj^pocrisy  in  deceiving 
and  distressing  their  venerable  father,  and  in  keeping  up  the  decep- 
tion for  a  course  of  years. 

^S'. — Where,  in  the  mean  time,  was  Joseph,  and  what  became  of 
him? 

F. — The  Midianites  who  bought  him  took  him  with  them  into 
Egypt,  and  sold  him  to  Potiphar,  one  of  the  chief  officers  in  the 
court  of  Pharaoh  ;  and  here  the  Lord  was  with  him  and  greatly 
prospered  him.  His  conduct  was  so  judicious  and  trustworthy, 
that  Potiphar  set  him  over  his  house,  and  confided  to  him  all  that 
he  had.  The  story  of  Joseph  in  Egypt  is  so  admirably  told  by  the 
sacred  writer,  that  I  will  not  undertake  to  paraphrase  or  abridge  it. 
I  would  rather  refer  you  to  the  narrative  itself.  With  an  inimita- 
ble simplicity,  and  with  a  sufficient  degree  of  particularity,  Moses 


168  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


has  told  us  of  the  great  favor  which  was  shown  to  Joseph  by  his 
master ;  of  his  wife's  most  wicked  design  against  the  young  man's 
chastity  ;  of  her  wrath  and  revenge  when  she  found  herself  defeated  ; 
of  his  being  unjustly  cast  into  prison ;  of  the  kind  regard  of  the 
keeper  of  the  prison  towards  him ;  of  his  interpreting  the  dreams  of 
the  chief  butler  and  baker  ;  and  finally  of  his  being  called  to  inter- 
pret the  dreams  of  Pharaoh,  which  proved  the  occasion  of  his  en- 
largement. He  tells  Pharaoh  of  the  coming  seven  years  of  plenty, 
to  be  followed  by  seven  years  of  famine  ;  and  advises  him  to  gather 
together,  in  storehouses,  all  the  surplus  food  of  the  first  seven  years, 
and  lay  it  up  against  the  years  of  want,  that  so  there  may  be  bread 
in  Egypt,  and  the  people  perish  not.  His  excellent  advice  was 
accepted  by  Pharaoh,  and  Joseph  was  put  in  charge  of  the  whole 
business  of  collecting,  storing,  and  distributing  the  abundance  of 
Egypt.  In  fact,  Joseph  was  made  governor  of  all  Egypt,  was  mar- 
ried to  an  honorable  woman,  a  daughter  of  the  priest  of  On,  and 
rode  in  the  second  chariot  of  the  kingdom. 

S. — How  was  Joseph  affected  by  this  high  promotion  ? 

^. — It  did  not  detract  at  all  from  his  diligence  in  the  discharge 
of  official  duty.  For  the  first  seven  years,  the  earth  brought  forth 
by  handfuls  ;  and  Joseph  gathered  corn  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  very 
much,  until  he  left  numbering;  for  it  could  not  be  numbered. 
Meanwhile,  two  sons  were  born  to  him,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim, 
who  afterwards  became  heads  of  distinct  tribes  in  Israel. 

S. — How  old  was  Joseph  when  the  famine  came  upon  Egypt  ? 

F. — About  thirty-seven.  He  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he 
came  into  Egypt,  and  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  was  taken  out 
of  prison  to  interpret  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh.  Hence  thirteen  years 
had  elapsed  which  he  had  spent  either  in  the  service  of  Potiphar,  or 
in  prison.  Seven  years  more  were  spent  in  laying  up  corn  in  the 
storehouses  of  Egypt,  and  then  the  predicted  famine  came — a  famine 
which  prevailed,  not  only  in  Egypt,  but  in  all  the  surrounding 
country. 

S. — What  causes  these  distressing  famines  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  169 

F. — In  general,  we  may  say  tliey  are  caused  by  drouglit.  When 
a  drought  occurs  in  upper  Egypt,  so  as  to  prevent  the  overflowing 
of  the  Nile,  a  famine  in  Egypt  proper  is  the  direct  residt.  These 
droughts  and  famines  often  extend,  not  only  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  Nile,  but  to  Arabia,  Palestine,  and  other  adjacent  countries. 
There  were  two  such  famines  in  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries, 
the  first  of  Avhieh,  like  that  of  Joseph,  lasted  seven  years. 

S. — It  is  time  that  we  turn  from  affairs  in  Egypt  to  consider 
those  in  the  south  of  Canaan.  Where  was  Jacob  and  his  other  sons 
all  this  while  ? 

F. — Jacob  was  still  residing  in  the  old  homestead,  at  Hebron,  or 
Mamre,  or  in  that  vicinity.  He  had  buried  his  father,  and  also 
Leah,  both  of  Avhom  were  laid  in  the  cave  at  Machpelah.  Joseph's 
brethren  were  all  of  them  married,  and  had  families  of  their  own. 
Even  Benjamin,  the  youngest,  had  a  family  of  sons.  He  was  the 
darling  and  delight  of  his  father,  after  the  supposed  loss  of  Joseph. 

S. — The  drought  and  famine  in  Egypt  extended  also  to  Canaan  ; 
and  what  did  Jacob  propose  to  his  sons  to  do  ? 

F. — He  called  them  together  and  said  unto  them :  "  Behold  I 
have  heard  that  there  is  corn  in  Egypt.  Get  you  down  thither  and 
buy  for  us,  that  we  perish  not."  '  So  the  ten  elder  sons  of  Jacob 
went  down  into  Egypt  to  buy  corn,  leaving  Benjamin  at  home  with 
their  father.  And  when  they  came  to  Joseph,  he  recognized  them, 
though  they  knew  not  him.  And  they  bowed  themselves  before  him, 
with  their  faces  to  the  earth.  And  Joseph,  wishing  to  try  them, 
spake  roughly  unto  them,  charged  them  with  being  spies,  and  put 
them  in  prison  three  days.  But  they  assured  him  that  they  were 
not  spies.  They  told  him  truthfully  who  they  were,  and  whence, 
and  for  what  purpose  they  had  come.  They  told  him  of  their  aged 
father,  and  of  their  younger  brother  whom  they  had  left  at  home. 
Joseph  thus  learned,  without  being  suspected,  that  his  father  and 
Benjamin  were  still  alive.  It  was  finally  arranged  that  one  of  their 
number,  Simeon,  should  be  left  in  Egypt  as  a  hostage ;  that  the  rest 
should  return  to  Canaan  with  bread  for  their  households ;  and  that 


168 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


lias  told  us  of  the  great  favor  which  was  shown  to  Joseph  by  his 
master ;  of  his  Avife's  most  wicked  design  against  the  young  man's 
chastity ;  of  her  wrath  and  revenge  when  she  found  herself  defeated  ; 
of  his  being  unjustly  cast  into  prison ;  of  the  kind  regard  of  the 
keeper  of  the  prison  towards  him ;  of  his  interpreting  the  dreams  of 
the  chief  butler  and  baker ;  and  finally  of  his  being  called  to  inter- 
pret the  dreams  of  Pharaoh,  which  proved  the  occasion  of  his  en- 
largement. He  tells  Pharaoh  of  the  coming  seven  years  of  plenty, 
to  be  followed  by  seven  years  of  famine  ;  and  advises  him  to  gather 
together,  in  storehouses,  all  the  surplus  food  of  the  first  seven  years, 
and  lay  it  up  against  the  years  of  want,  that  so  there  may  be  bread 
in  Egypt,  and  the  people  perish  not.  His  excellent  advice  was 
accepted  by  Pharaoh,  and  Joseph  was  put  in  charge  of  the  whole 
business  of  collecting,  storing,  and  distributing  the  abundance  of 
Egypt.  In  fact,  Joseph  was  made  governor  of  all  Egypt,  was  mar- 
ried to  an  honorable  woman,  a  daughter  of  the  priest  of  On,  and 
rode  in  the  second  chariot  of  the  kingdom. 

S. — How  was  Joseph  affected  by  this  high  promotion  ? 

J^. — It  did  not  detract  at  all  from  his  diligence  in  the  discharge 
of  official  duty.  For  the  first  seven  years,  the  earth  brought  forth 
by  handfuls  ;  and  Joseph  gathered  corn  as  the  sand  of  the  sea,  very 
much,  until  he  left  numbering;  for  it  could  not  be  numbered. 
Meanwhile,  two  sons  were  born  to  him,  Manasseh  and  Ephraim, 
who  afterwards  became  heads  of  distinct  tribes  in  Israel. 

S. — How  old  was  Joseph  when  the  famine  came  upon  Egypt  ? 

F. — About  thirty-seven.  He  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he 
came  into  Egypt,  and  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  was  taken  out 
of  prison  to  interpret  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh.  Hence  thirteen  years 
had  elapsed  which  he  had  spent  either  in  the  service  of  Potiphar,  or 
in  prison.  Seven  years  more  were  spent  in  laying  up  corn  in  the 
storehouses  of  Egypt,  and  then  the  predicted  famine  came — a  famine 
which  prevailed,  not  only  in  Egypt,  but  in  all  the  surrounding 
country. 

S. — What  causes  these  distressing  famines  ? 


I 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  171 

hunger  accomplished  what  persuasion  could  not.  He  yields  the 
point,  and  consents  to  part  with  Benjamin.  He  directs  that  the 
returned  money  should  be  carried  back  to  the  governor,  and  with  it 
a  present,  such  as  they,  in  their  distress,  might  be  able  to  afford. 
"  And  God  Almighty  bless  you,  and  give  you  mercy  before  the  man, 
that  he  may  send  you  back,  and  Benjamin  with  you."  So  the  sons 
of  Jacob  departed,  and  went  a  second  time  into  Egj'pt. 

S. — And  how  did  Joseph  receive  them? 

F. — He  made  a  feast  for  them  in  his  own  house,  and  kindly 
inquired  after  the  health  of  their  father.  And  when  he  saw  Benja- 
min he  said,  "  Is  this  the  younger  brother  of  whom  ye  spake  ?  " 
And  he  said,  "  God  be  gracious  unto  thee,  my  son." 

By  this  time  the  feelings  of  Joseph  overcame  him.  He  was 
obliged  to  retire  to  his  chamber  and  weep.  He  soon  returned, 
however,  and  to  the  astonishment  of  his  unconscious  brethren,  he 
seated  them  at  table  according  to  their  respective  ages.  "How 
should  the  governor  of  Egypt  know,"  they  thought,  "what  our 
ages  are?"  And  to  increase  their  astonishment,  when  he  filled  their 
plates,  he  sent  Benjamin  five  times  as  much  as  either  of  the  others. 

S. — When  the  dinner  was  over,  what  was  done  ? 

F. — Joseph  commanded  to  fill  the  men's  sacks  with  food,  as  much 
as  they  could  carry,  to  put  their  money  again  into  their  sacks,  to 
put  his  own  silver  cup  into  the  sack  of  Benjamin,  the  youngest,  and 
to  send  them  away.  But  scarcely  had  they  left  the  city,  when 
Joseph  sent  his  servants  after  them,  charging  them  with  stealing  his 
cup,  and  ordering  them  back  to  answer  for  their  fault.  They 
solemnly  denied  the  charge,  affirming  that  they  knew  nothing  of 
the  matter.  They  even  consented  that  he  on  whom  the  cup  should 
be  found  should  be  put  to  death.  Their  asses  were  at  once 
unladed  ;  their  sacks  were  searched ;  and  the  cup  was  found  in 
the  sack  of  Benjamin,  the  youngest. 

*S'. — Their  mortification  and  distress  at  this  discovery  must  have 
been  intense. 

F. — It  was  so,  indeed.     They  rent  their  clothes  ;  they  returned 


172  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

to  the  city  ;  they  fell  down  before  the  governor  and  said,  "  AVhat 
shall  we  speak  unto  thee  ?  or  how  shall  we  clear  ourselves  ?  Behold, 
we  are  thy  servants,  both  we,  and  he  with  whom  the  cup  is  found." 
But  Joseph  said,  "  No  ;  he  only  in  whose  hand  the  cup  is  found 
shall  be  my  servant.  But  as  for  you,  return  ye  in  peace  unto  your 
father." 

>S'. — What  reply  did  they  make  to  this  proposal  ? 

F. — Judah  who,  by  common  consent,  seems  to  have  been  chief 
speaker  among  his  brethren,  presented  himself  before  the  governor, 
and  gave  utterance  to  one  of  the  most  touching  and  powerful 
speeches  that  ever  fell  from  mortal  lips.  For  simplicity,  appropriate- 
ness and  melting  pathos,  I  know  nothing  like  it  in  all  the  specimens 
of  ancient  or  modern  oratory.  After  a  brief  introduction,  Judah 
recounts  to  the  governor  the  substance  of  what  passed  at  their  first 
interview, — how  the  governor  inquired  after  their  father,  and  their 
younger  brother,  and  enjoined,  as  the  condition  of  seeing  them 
again,  that  their  younger  brother  must  come  with  them.  "  And  we 
said,  He  is  the  child  of  our  father's  old  age,  and  his  brother  is  dead, 
and  his  father  loveth  him.  He  cannot  leave  his  father  ;  for  if  he 
should  leave  him,  his  father  would  die.  But  thou  saidst,  except 
your  younger  brother  come  down  with  you,  ye  shall  see  my  face  no 
more.  And  when  we  came  to  our  father,  we  told  him  the  words  of 
my  lord.  And  when  our  father  said  again  to  us,  Go  down  to  Egypt 
and  buy  us  food,  we  answered.  We  cannot  go  down,  except  our 
youngest  brother  be  w^ith  us.  And  our  father  answered.  Ye  know 
that  my  wife  Rachel  bare  me  two  sons  ;  and  one  went  out  from  me, 
and  was  torn  to  pieces,  and  I  saw  him  no  more.  And  if  you  take 
this  also  from  me,  and  mischief  befall  him,  ye  shall  bring  down  my 
gray  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave.  Now  therefore,  when  we  be 
come  to  our  father,  and  he  seeth  that  the  young  man  is  not  with  us, 
he  will  surely  die,  and  his  life  shall  be  set  to  our  account.  For  thy 
servant  became  surety  for  him  to  our  father,  sajdng,  if  I  bring  him 
not  unto  thee,  then  shall  I  bear  the  blame  to  my  father  forever. 
How  then  shall  1  go  up  to  my  father,  and  mj  younger  brother  is 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  173 

not  with  me  ?  How  can  I  see  the  evil  that  shall  come  on  my 
father?" 

At  this  point,  Judah  ceased  speaking  ;  for  the  governor  could 
bear  no  more.  He  instantly  ordered  away  all  his  servants.  He 
wept  and  sobbed  aloud.  And  he  said  unto  his  brethren,  "  I  am 
Joseph  Avhom  ye  sold  into  Egypt !     Doth  my  father  yet  live  ?  " 

S. — The  feelings  of  his  brethren  at  this  moment  must  have  been 
inexpressible.     What  could  they  say  ? 

F. — They  could  say  nothing.  They  stood  dumb,  confounded, 
and  troubled  in  their  brother's  presence.  But  he  encouraged  them 
to  come  near  to  him,  and  said,  "  Be  not  grieved  nor  angry  with 
yourselves,  that  ye  sold  me  into  Egypt ;  for  God  did  send  me  before 
you  to  save  your  lives  with  a  great  deliverance.  Haste  ye  now, 
and  go  up  to  my  father,  and  say  unto  him,  Thy  son  Joseph  is  yet 
alive,  and  God  hath  exalted  him,  and  made  him  ruler  over  all 
Egypt.  Come  down  unto  me ;  tarry  not.  Five  more  years  of  fam- 
ine still  remain,  in  which  there  shall  be  neither  earing  nor  harvest. 
Come  down  unto  me,  and  dwell  near  me  in  the  land  of  Goshen, 
thou,  and  thy  children  and  thy  children's  children,  and  thy  flocks, 
and  thy  herds,  and  all  that  thou  hast ;  and  there  will  I  nourish 
thee,  lest  thou  and  thy  household  come  to  poverty."' 

S. — Was  this  interview  cordial  and  affectionate  to  the  end  ? 

F. — It  was  exceedingly  so.  Joseph  fell  upon  his  brother  Benja- 
min's neck  and  wept ;  and  Benjamin  wept  upon  his  neck.  More- 
over he  kissed  all  his  brethren,  and  wept  upon  them ;  and  after 
that,  his  brethren  talked  with  him. 


CONYEKSATION  XXI. 

JACOB  AND  JOSEPH  TILL  THEIR  DEATH.— Pharaoh  invites  Jacoh  to  Egypt.— 
Jacob's  joy. — Removal  to  Egypt. — Meeting  of  Joseph  and  his  father. — Jacob  blesses  the 
king. — Joseph's  government. — Jacob  about  to  die. — His  sons  called  about  him  to  receive 
his  blessing. — Christ's  coming  predicted. — Last  words. — Death  and  burial. — Magnifi- 
cence of  this  funeral  unequaled. — Joseph's  life  a  lesson  for  the  young. 

Son. — Our  last  conversation  closed  with  the  recognition  of  Joseph 
and  his  brethren.  What  are  we  to  suppose  was  the  design  of  Jo- 
seph, in  keeping  his  brethren  so  long  in  ignorance  respecting  himself, 
and  in  trying  and  perplexing  them  as  he  did  ?  Some  have  thought 
that  his  object,  in  putting  his  cup  into  Benjamin's  sack,  and  getting 
him  back,  was  to  separate  him  from  the  rest  of  his  brethren,  retain 
him  in  his  service,  and  let  the  others  go.     Is  this  probable  ? 

Father. — I  think  not.  A  moment's  reflection  must  have  satisfied 
him  that  this  was  impossible.  How  could  he  retain  Benjamin  with 
him  and  not  acknowledge  him  as  a  brother?  And  how  could  he 
make  himself  known  to  him,  and  keep  his  father  and  his  other 
brotliers  in  ignorance  ?  No ;  the  object  of  Joseph's  strange  treat- 
ment of  his  brethren  from  first  to  last,  was  undoubtedly  to  try  them. 
He  wished  to  see  whether  adversity  had  humbled  them  ;  what  their 
feelings  were  towards  their  father  and  their  younger  brother; 
whether  they  were  men  to  be  trusted,  and  whether  he  might  safely 
bring  them  near  to  himself.  When  he  had  satisfied  himself  on 
these  points,  he  was  willing  to  avow  his  relation  to  them — to  own 
and  treat  them  as  brethren. 

S. — How  was  Pharaoh  and  his  court  affected,  when  they  knew 
that  Joseph's  brethren  had  come  to  him  ? 

F. — We  are  told  that  their  coming  pleased  Pharaoh  well,  and  his 
servants.  The  king  commanded  that  the  men  should  return  at 
once  to  their  father,  with  carriages,  and  with  abundant  provision  for 
the  way ;  and  that  they  should  bring  their  father,  their  wives,  their 
children,  and  all  their  substance  into  Egypt,  promising  to  give  them 
the  good  of  the  land.     Joseph  also  gave  them  rich  presents,  and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  175 

sent  more  valuable  presents  to  his  father ;  and  with  his  advice  and 
blessing,  he  sent  them  away. 

*S'. — And  how  was  Jacob  affected  when  the  news  from  Egypt 
reached  him  ? 

F. — He  was  entirely  overcome  by  it.  He  fainted,  and  was  for  a 
time  as  one  dead.  But  he  revived  and  said,  "  It  is  enough !  Joseph 
my  son  is  yet  alive !     I  will  go  and  see  him  before  I  die." 

S. — Is  it  likely  that  Joseph's  brethren  now  made  full  confession 
to  their  father,  as  to  their  past  treatment  of  Joseph  ? 

F. — It  is.  They  were  not  in  a  situation  to  keep  anything  back. 
Besides,  if  they  had  been  disposed  to  cover  up  their  guilt,  they  must 
have  known  that  it  would  not  be  concealed.  It  is  to  be  hoped, 
therefore,  that  they  made  a  full  confession,  and  were  forgiven. 

S. — Did  Jacob  have  God's  approbation  in  going  into  Egypt  ? 

F. — Yes ;  the  God  of  his  fathers  met  him  at  Beer-sheba  while  on 
the  way,  and  said,  "  Fear  not  to  go  down  into  Egypt ;  for  I  am  with 
thee,  and  will  make  of  thee  there  a  great  nation.  And  I  will  bring 
thee  up  from  thence,  and  Joseph  shall  be  with  thee  to  close  thine 
eyes  in  death," 

>S'. — On  their  arrival  in  Egypt,  Jacob  and  his  family  stopped  in 
Goshen.     Where  was  this  locality  ? 

F. — Goshen  was  a  fertile  country,  lying  east  of  the  Nile,  in  a  part 
of  Egypt  nearest  to  Canaan.  Memphis,  the  capital  of  lower 
Egypt,  and  the  residence  of  Pharaoh,  was  distant  about  twenty 
miles. 

S. — The  meeting  of  Joseph  and  his  father  must  have  been  one  of 
touching  interest. 

F. — It  was  so  indeed.  When  Joseph  heard  of  his  father's  arrival, 
he  made  ready  his  chariot,  and  went  out  to  meet  him,  and  when  he 
saw  him,  he  fell  on  his  neck,  and  wept  there  a  long  time.  And 
Jacob  said  to  Joseph,  "  Now  let  me  die  ;  for  I  have  seen  thy  face, 
and  thou  art  yet  alive." 

S. — Did  Joseph  present  any  of  his  newly  arrived  friends  before 
the  king? 


176  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  introduced  five  of  liis  brethren  into  the  royal  presence. 
And  when  Pharaoh  inquired  as  to  their  occupation,  they  said,  "  Thy 
servants  are  shepherds,  both  we  and  our  fathers,  and  we  have  no 
pasturage  for  our  flocks  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  because  of  the 
famine.  We  pray  thee  let  thy  servants  dwell  in  the  land  of 
Goshen."  Joseph  also  presented  his  father  to  Pharaoh ;  and  the 
venerable  patriarch  blessed  Pharaoh.  And  Pharaoh  said  unto  him, 
"  How  old  art  thou  ?  "  And  Jacob  answered,  "  The  days  of  the 
years  of  my  pilgrimage  are  one  hundred  and  thirty  years.  Few 
and  evil  have  the  days  of  the  years  of  my  life  been,  and  I  have 
not  attained  unto  the  years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers." 

S. — What  decision  was  made  as  to  the  future  residence  of  the 
strangers  ? 

F. — Pharaoh  graciously  consented  that  they  should  dwell  in  the 
land  of  Goshen.  So  Joseph  placed  his  father  and  brethren  there, 
— where  he  nourished  and  sustained  them,  and  all  that  pertained  to 
them,  during  the  remaining  years  of  famine. 

*S'. — How  did  Joseph  proceed  in  the  important  work  of  distrib- 
uting bread  to  the  people  ? 

F. — He  first  gathered  up  all  the  money  that  was  found  in  Egypt, 
in  payment  for  corn.  Then  he  took  of  the  people  their  cattle,  their 
horses,  their  asses  and  flocks,  for  which  he  fed  them  a  full  year. 
After  that  he  purchased  their  lands  for  Pharaoh,  excepting  such  as 
belonged  to  the  priests.  When  the  famine  was  over,  he  gave  them 
seed  to  sow  their  land,  reserving  a  fifth  part  of  the  product  to 
Pharaoh,  and  leaving  four-fifths  to  the  cultivators  of  the  soil. 

S. — Joseph's  administration  in  this  matter  has  been  thought,  by 
some,  to  be  hard  and  oppressive.  Is  there  any  ground  for  such  a 
complaint  ? 

F. — Certainl}'-  not.  It  must  be  remembered  that  Joseph  was  act- 
ing in  this  matter,  not  for  himself,  but  for  Pharaoh.  A  man  may 
be  generous  in  disposing  of  his  own  goods,  but  there  is  no  virtue 
in  being  generous  with  the  property  of  another.  Joseph  bought 
the  corn  of  the  peoj)le,  in  a  time  of  plenty,  with  Pharaoh's  money ; 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  177 

and  bought  it,  so  far  as  we  know,  at  a  fair  price.  He  carefully 
stored  it,  and  kept  it  at  Pliaruoli's  expense  ;  and  when  the  fanane 
came,  he  sold  the  corn  for  Pharaoh  at  a  fair  price.  The  peo2jle 
came  to  him  voluntarily  with  their  money,  their  cattle,  their  lands, 
and  he  took  them  for  Pharaoh,  thereby  saving  the  people  alive. 
And  when  the  famine  was  over,  he  gave  them  seed  to  sow  the  land, 
and  permitted  them  to  cultivate  it  on  shares,  reserving  only  a  fifth 
part  of  the  produce  for  the  lawful  owner,  and  leaving  four-fifths  for 
themselves.  In  view  of  these  facts,  we  submit,  whether  Joseph 
should  be  regarded  as  an  oppressor  of  the  Egyptians,  and  not 
rather  as  an  inestimable  benefactor.  He  was  an  instrument  in  the 
hand  of  God  of  saving  their  lives — of  saving  their  country  from 
desolation,  and  themselves  from  destruction ;  and  so  he  was  regarded 
to  the  day  of  his  death. 

S. — How  long  did  Jacob  live  after  he  went  into  Egypt  ? 

F. — About  seventeen  years — perhaps  the  most  quiet  part  of  his 
life.  He  had  his  children,  his  grandchildren,  and  probably  his 
great-grandchildren  around  him,  as  it  is  said  that  his  family  grew 
and  multiplied  exceedingly.  He  saw  Joseph  occasionally,  as  the 
intervals  of  business  would  j)ermit,  and  took  an  oath  of  him  that 
he  would  not  bury  him  in  the  land  of  Egypt.  "  I  would  lie  with 
my  fathers,"  said  he  ;  "  bury  me  in  their  burying-place,  in  the  field 
of  Machpelah." 

S. — What  were  the  circumstances  attending  the  death  of  Jacob  ? 

F. — Learning  that  his  end  was  near,  Joseph  went  up  to  him  to 
Goshen,  carrying  his  two  sons  with  him.  And  Jacob  blessed 
Joseph,  and  blessed  his  sons,  making  them  heads  of  tribes,  as 
though  they  were  his  own  children  :  "  May  the  angel  Avhich  re- 
deemed me  from  all  evil  bless  the  lads ;  and  let  my  name  be  named 
upon  them,  and  let  them  grow  into  a  multitude  in  the  might  of  the 
earth." 

*S'. — What  was  the  last  thing  which  Jacob  did  for  his  sons? 

F. — He  summoned  them  around  his  bed  to  hear  his  last  words  : 
"  Gather  yourselves  together,  ye  sons  of  Jacob,  that  I  may  tell  you 


178  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

what  shall  befall  you  in  the  last  days."  It  would  be  interesting, 
had  we  time,  to  go  over  with  all  these  monitory  and  prophetic 
words  (see  Gen.  xlix).  The  patriarch  addresses  each  of  his  sons 
successively,  according  to  their  ages,  and  notes,  in  few  words,  the 
leading  characteristics  and  events  of  their  history.  Addressing 
Judah,  he  says,  "  The  scepter  shall  not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a 
lawgiver  from  between  thy  feet,  until  Shiloh  come.  And  unto  him 
shall  the  gathering  of  the  people  be."  Jacob  here  predicts  that 
one  from  the  tribe  of  Judah  should  have  supreme  authority  in 
Israel,  which  was  fulfilled  in  David  and  Solomon.  He  also  predicts 
that  before  all  traces  of  royal  authority  should  pass  away  from 
Judah,  the  great  Messenger  of  the  Covenant  should  appear ;  which 
was  fulfilled  in  Christ. 

The  blessing  of  Joseph  also  was  rich  and  abiding.  "  The  bless- 
ings of  thy  father  shall  prevail  over  the  blessings  of  my  progenitors, 
unto  the  utmost  bound  of  the  everlasting  hills.  They  shall  be  upon 
the  head  of  Joseph — upon  the  head  of  him  who  was  separated  from 
his  brethren." 

The  venerable  patriarch,  having  closed  his  prophetic  sayings,  had 
nothing  left  for  him  but  to  die.  So  he  drew  up  his  feet  in  the  bed, 
and  yielded  up  the  ghost,  and  was  gathered  to  his  people.  And 
Joseph  fell  upon  his  father's  face,  and  kissed  him,  and  wept  over 
him,  thus  testifying  in  death,  as  well  as  in  life,  the  ardor  of  his  filial 
love. 

S. — What  was  the  first  care  of  Joseph,  after  the  death  of  his 
father  ? 

F. — It  was  to  have  his  body  embalmed,  after  the  manner  of  the 
Egyptians.  This,  and  the  mourning  connected  with  it,  occupied 
seventy  days.  Meanwhile,  Joseph  acquainted  Pharaoh  with  his 
father's  wishes,  and  with  his  own  oath  and  promise  to  him,  as  to  the 
place  of  his  burial.  "  My  father  made  me  swear,  saying.  In  my 
grave  which  I  have  prepared  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  there  shalt  thou 
bury  me.  Now,  therefore,  let  me  go  up,  and  bury  my  father,  and  I 
will  come  to  thee  again."     And  Pharaoh  not  only  gave  permission, 


JSSOIIS 


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CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  181 

but  ordered  a  great  com2:)auy  of  liis  servants,  and  of  the  elders  of  his 
house,  to  accompany  Joseph  and  his  brethren  on  this  melancholy 
expedition.  So  there  went  up  both  chariots  and  horsemen,  a  great 
multitude.  It  may  be  doubted  whether  there  ever  was  such  a 
funeral  procession,  before  or  since.  Here  was  a  great  company, — 
how  great  we  know  not, — Egyptians  and  Israelites,  chariots,  horse- 
men and  footmen,  moving  on  with  Oriental  pomp  and  magnificence, 
a  distance  of  two  or  three  hundred  miles;  and  all  for  what?  To 
deposit  the  remains  of  a  venerable  man,  a  holy  man,  the  sire  and 
patriarch  of  Israel,  in  their  last  resting-place — the  grave  which  he 
and  his  fathers  had  prepared.  And  when  they  came  near  the  place, 
they  paused  and  mourned,  with  a  great  lamentation,  seven  days  ; 
insomuch  that  the  Canaanites  took  notice  of  it  and  said,  "  This  is  a 
grievous  mourning  to  the  Egyptians."  So  they  buried  Jacob  by 
the  side  of  his  father  and  mother,  his  grandfather  and  grandmother, 
in  the  cave  of  Machpelah ; — and  then  they  returned  into  Egypt. 

S. — When  Joseph  and  his  brethren  had  returned  from  burying 
their  father,  they  were  afraid  lest  he  should  remember  their  former 
ill  treatment  of  him,  and  undertake  to  avenge  it.  Was  tliere  any 
ground  for  this  fear  ? 

F. — None  at  all.  He  wej)t  when  his  brethren  presented  the  case 
before  him.  He  cheered  and  comforted  them,  sa}' ing :  "  Fear  not ; 
seek  God's  forgiveness,  and  you  may  be  sure  of  mine.  Ye  thought 
evil  against  me,  but  God  meant  it  for  good,  to  save  much  people  alive 
as  it  is  this  day.     I  will  nourish  you  and  your  little  ones ;  fear  not." 

*S'. — How  long  did  Joseph  live  after  his  father's  death  ? 

F. — ]\Iore  than  fifty  years,  enjoying,  as  he  was  entitled  to,  the 
favor  of  the  king.  He  died  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten. 
Before  his  death,  he  sent  for  his  brethren  and  said  unto  them : 
"  God  will  surely  visit  you,  and  bring  you  out  of  this  land  unto  the 
land  which  he  swore  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac,  and  to  Jacob ;  and  when 
ye  go  out,  carry  my  bones  with  you."  So  they  embalmed  the  body 
of  Joseph,  and  put  it  in  a  coffin,  and  it  remained  in  Egypt  until  the 
departure  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

12 


182  CONVERSATIONS  OX  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — The  narrative  over  which  we  have  passed  is  most  remarkable 
and  instructive.  Will  you  please  indicate  some  of  the  lessons  which 
it  is  fitted  to  impress  ? 

F. — It  certainly  shows  the  wonders  of  God's  providence,  and  the 
safety,  under  all  circumstances,  of  j)utting  our  trust  in  him.  He  is 
able  to  bring  light  out  of  the  deepest  darkness,  and  to  make  even 
the  sins  of  men  contribute  to  his  praise.  Without  furnishing  the 
slightest  excuse  for  human  wickedness,  he  overrules  it  in  thousands 
of  instances — perhaps  in  every  instance  of  its  permission — for  his 
own  glory  and  the  greatest  good.  All  this  is  repeatedly  and  strik- 
ingly illustrated  in  the  narrative  over  which  we  have  passed.  Jacob 
did  not  intend  or  expect  to  marry  Leah.  By  a  vile  trick  she  was 
imposed  upon  him ;  and  yet  she  was  to  be  the  progenitress  of  the 
Messiah.  But  for  her  connection  with  Jacob,  the  Savior  of  the 
world  had  not  appeared.  Jacob  loved  Joseph,  and  hoped  never  to 
be  separated  from  him.  Yet  Joseph  must  be  torn  away  by  wicked 
hands,  and  sent  into  an  apparently  hopeless  exile,  in  order  to  save 
Jacob  and  his  family  from  destruction.  Yet  who  thanks  Laban  for 
his  vile  imposition  ?  Or  Joseph's  brethren  for  selling  him  to  the 
Midianites  ?  "  Ye  thought  evil  against  me,  but  God  meant  it  for 
good."  A  voluntary  act  of  sin  is  one  thing  ;  God's  overruling  that 
act,  in  opposition  to  all  its  natural  tendencies,  and  to  the  intentions 
of  its  perpetrator,  for  his  own  glory  and  the  greatest  good,  is  quite 
another  thing.  The  perpetrator  is  without  excuse ;  but  the  over- 
ruling providence  of  God  is  praiseworthy  and  glorious. 

«S'. — Long  and  carefully  concealed  sins  are  often  brought  singu- 
larly to  light.  Have  we  not  an  illustration  of  this  point  in  the 
narrative  before  us? 

F. — We  have.  The  cruelty  of  Joseph's  brethren  was  perpetrated 
secretly.  It  was  known  to  no  one  except  themselves.  They  took 
effectual  means  to  conceal  it  from  their  father,  and  to  quiet  any  sus- 
picions wdiich  he  might  otherwise  have  been  led  to  entertain.  They 
had  heard  nothing  of  the  matter  for  years,  and  thought  that  they 
should  hear  of  it  no  more.     And  yet  they  did.     In  a  manner  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  183 

most  unexpected  and  overwhelming,  it  was  suddenly  brought  to 
light.  "•  I  am  Joseph,  your  brother,  whom  3'e  sold  into  Egypt." 
Oh  what  a  voice  Avas  that !  It  stunned  and  confounded  them  !  A 
voice  from  the  eternal  throne  could  not  have  startled  and  astonished 
them  more !  It  is  for  us  to  learn  a  lesson  from  this  disclosure. 
"  He  that  covereth  his  sin,  shall  not  prosper."  "  Be  sure  3'our  sin 
will  find  you  out." 

S. — When  Joseph  was  sold  into  Egypt,  he  was  a  3'oung  man.  Is 
not  his  whole  example  a  lesson  for  the  young  ? 

F. — His  resistance  of  temptation,  his  simple  trust  in  God,  his 
patient  waiting  for  God  to  appear  for  his  deliverance, — in  these  and 
other  respects,  he  was  an  example  to  us  all.  But  there  is  another 
point  of  view  in  which  God's  dealings  Avith  him  are  instructive. 
God  had  destined  Joseph  to  a  high  station  of  honor  and  usefulness, 
but  does  not  immediately  advance  him  to  it.  Why  not  ?  Young 
Joseph  is  not  yet  prepared  for  it.  He  must  first  be  tried  and 
proved,  instructed  and  humbled.  He  must  go  into  the  school  of 
adversity,  and  there  learn  lessons  of  Avisdom  Avhich  he  could  learn 
nowhere  else.  Hence  he  must  be  torn  from  the  fond  embraces  of 
his  father,  sold  into  slavery,  and  be  confined  in  a  loathsome  prison 
for  years.  Dark  days  these  for  afflicted  Joseph !  Verily,  he  had 
reason  to  say  of  the  Almighty,  "  Clouds  and  darkness  are  round 
about  him !  "  And  yet  this  was  but  a  necessary  discipline.  It  was 
just  Avhat  the  young  man  needed.  Without  it,  he  could  not  have 
been  so  Avell  prepared  for  his  future  advancement  and  glory. 

Let  not  the  young,  in  our  day,  shrink  from  trials,  or  be  disheart- 
ened under  them.  Trust  in  God,  Avait  patientl}^  upon  him,  and  do 
his  Avill,  and  trials  will  not  injure  you.  You  will  come  out  of  the 
furnace  as  silver,  and  find  that  every  trial  has  been  a  blessing. 


CONYERSATION  XXII. 

MOSES  UNTIL  HIS  CALL  TO  GO  INTO  EGYPT.— Oppression  of  the  Hebrews.— 
The  cause. — Cruel  command  of  the  Egyptian  king. — Mothers  to  drown  all  the  new-born 
male  children. — Moses  born. — A  mother's  devotion. — Moses  providentially  saved. — Born 
a  slave. — A  prince  by  adoption. — Becomes  a  fugitive  shepherd. — The  religion  of  the 
Egyptians. — The  burning  bush. — Tlie  message  from  God. — Aaron  to  be  his  helper. 

Son. — During  the  life  of  Joseph,  and  for  many  subsequent  years, 
the  Israelites  were  in  high  favor  with  the  Egyptians.  But  after  a 
time  there  was  a  change,  and  they  were  treated  with  great  cruelty. 
How  is  this  change  to  be  accounted  for  ? 

Father. — There  was,  undoubtedly,  a  revolution — a  change  of 
dynasty  in  Egypt.  A  king  came  to  the  throne  who  knew  not 
Joseph,  and  had  no  sympathy  with  the  Hebrews ;  and  as  they  were 
rapidly  increasing  in  number,  and  the  land  was  likely  to  be  filled 
with  them,  the  new  king  thought  to  oppress  them,  and  by  harsh 
treatment  to  keep  them  down.  He  first  compelled  them  to  forsake 
their  flocks,  and  to  build  treasure  cities  for  himself.  He  set  over 
them  task-masters,  to  afflict  them  with  burthens.  But  the  more 
they  were  afflicted,  the  more  they  multiplied. 

S. — What  other  cruel  artifices  did  the  new  king  practice  upon 
the  Israelites. 

F. — He  undertook  to  destroy  all  the  male  children.  They  were 
to  be  destroyed  by  the  Hebrew  mid-wives,  as  soon  as  they  were 
born.  But  the  mid-wives  feared  God,  and  contrived  to  evade  the 
bloody  injunction  which  was  laid  upon  them. 

Pharaoh  now  resorts  to  another  expedient.  He  commands  that 
every  son  that  is  born  to  the  Hebrews  shall  be  cast  into  the  river, 
but  that  every  daughter  should  be  spared  alive.  It  was  while  this 
terrible  edict  was  in  force,  that  Moses,  the  great  leader  and  lawgiver 
in  Israel,  was  born.  His  father's  name  was  Amram,  a  grandson  of 
Levi ;  and  his  mother's  name  was  Jochebed.  These  parents  had 
two  children  older  than  Moses,  who  were  born  before  the  murderous 
decree  was  enacted,  vh..,  Miriam  and  Aaron.     But  the  life  of  Moses 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  185 

was  forfeited  before  his  birth.  His  parents  succeeded  however  in 
concealing  him  three  months ;  and  when  this  was  no  longer  possi- 
ble, his  fond  mother  prepared  a  little  ark  of  bulrushes,  daubed  it 
with  slime  and  pitch,  put  the  child  into  it,  and  laid  it  in  the  flags 
by  the  river's  brink.  And  she  set  his  sister  Miriam  to  watch  at  a 
little  distance,  that  she  might  see  what  became  of  the  child. 

S. — And  what  did  become  of  it  ?     Was  it  destroyed  ? 

F. — No ;  God  had  other  designs  respecting  Moses  than  that  he 
should  go  to  fatten  the  monsters  of  the  Nile,  Accordingly,  a  suc- 
cession of  incidents  the  most  remarkable  and  interesting,  began  to 
be  unfolded,  issuing  almost  immediately  in  his  deliverance.  A 
daughter  of  Pharaoh  comes  down  to  the  river  to  bathe,  and  as  she 
walks  on  by  the  side  of  it,  she  discovers  the  little  ark.  Prompted 
by  curiosity,  she  sends  one  of  her  maidens  to  fetch  it.  And  when 
she  had  opened  it,  she  saw  the  child ;  and  the  babe  wept.  She 
had  compassion  on  it,  and  said,  "•  This  is  one  of  the  Hebrews'  chil- 
dren." At  this  critical  moment,  Miriam  ran  up  to  Pharaoh's 
daughter  and  said,  "  Shall  I  go  and  call  thee  a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew 
women,  that  she  may  nurse  the  child  for  thee  ?  "  And  Pharaoh's 
daughter  said,  "  Go."  So  Miriam  ran  and  called  the  child's  mother. 
And  Pharaoh's  daughter  said  unto  her,  "  Take  this  child  and  nurse 
it  for  Twe,  and  I  will  give  thee  thy  wages."  And  the  mother  took 
the  child  and  nursed  it. 

aS'. — Was  ever  anything  more  natural,  and  at  the  same  time  won- 
derful than  this  ?  There  is  not  an  improbable  incident  in  all  the 
story ;  and  yet  we  have  here  a  train  of  incidents  which,  in  a  few 
hours  restores  the  little  one  to  the  arms  of  its  mother,  to  be  nursed, 
not  only  in  safety,  but  in  honor,  and  at  a  price  to  be  paid  from  the 
coffers  of  the  cruel  king.  Surely,  the  resources  of  God's  wisdom 
and  goodness  are  exhaustless,  and  should  never  be  despaired  of  by 
his  suffering  people.  How  long  did  Moses  continue  with  his 
mother  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know.  Probably  some  four  or  five  years,  until 
the  usual  time  of  weaning, — when  he  was  restored  to  his  adopted 


186  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

mother,  and  trained  up  under  her  care.  She  called  his  name  Moses., 
from  the  Hebrew  3Iasha,  which  signifies  something  drawn  from  the 
water. 

>S'. — It  is  said  that  in  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  Moses  was  instructed 
in  all  the  wisdom  of  the  Egj^ptians.     How  much  does  this  imply  ? 

F. — We  do  not  very  definitely  know.  Without  doubt  he  was 
instructed  in  the  Hebrew  and  Egyptian  languages,  and  enabled  to 
speak  and  write  both  with  accuracy  and  elegance.  He  was  in- 
structed, too,  in  geometry  and  astronomy.  The  Egyptians  also  had 
some  knowledge  of  architecture,  as  is  evident  from  their  costly 
structures.  This  architecture,  however,  was  heavy  and  inelegant 
compared  with  that  of  the  Greeks.  The  Egyptians  were  skilled,  to 
some  extent,  in  the  medical  art;  though  their  skill  was  less  em- 
ployed, probably,  in  restoring  the  sick,  than  in  preserving  the  bodies 
of  the  dead.  The  Egyptians  understood  likewise  the  art  of  war, 
in  which  it  is  altogether  probable  that  Moses  was  instructed. 
Josephus  has  a  story  of  his  leading  forth  the  Egyptian  army  in  a 
war  with  the  Ethiopians.  This  may  be  true,  though  we  have  no  ac- 
count of  it  in  the  Scriptures. 

jS. — What  was  the  philosophy  and  religion  of  the  Egyptians  at 
this  period? 

F. — It  was  pantheistic.  "  All  things  are  full  of  God,  and  are  but 
developments  of  God."  Hence,  this  people  were  led  to  observe 
signs  and  omens,  and  to  practice  enchantments  and  magical  arts. 
Hence,  also,  they  were  led  to  worship,  not  only  the  lights  of  heaven, 
but  birds,  and  beasts,  and  creeping  things.  These  are  all  of  them 
Divine.  God  is  more  strikingly  develoj^ed  in  some  than  in  others, 
but  to  some  extent  in  them  all.  Fetichism  has  alway  been  a  result 
of  pantheism.  Without  doubt,  Moses  was  instructed  in  this  phi- 
losophy and  theology  ;  but  he  soon  learned  to  despise  them.  He 
knew,  in  childhood,  that  he  was  a  Hebrew  ;  he  kept  up  an  inter- 
course with  the  Hebrews ;  and  instead  of  being  decoyed  into  the 
abominations  of  Egypt,  he  became  a  devout  worshiper  of  Israel's 
God. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  187 

S. — Please  tell  us  of  an  incident  which  occurred  in  one  of  his 
visits  to  the  Hebrews. 

F. — He  saw  an  Egyptian  smiting  and  abusing  a  Hebrew.  In  the 
heat  of  his  indignation,  he  slew  the  Egyptian,  and  buried  him  in  the 
sand.  The  day  following,  he  saw  two  of  the  Hebrews  engaged  in 
strife.  He  reproved  the  aggressor,  and  sought  to  bring  about  a 
reconciliation.  But  the  wrong-doer  tartly  replied,  "  Who  made 
thee  a  prince  and  a  judge  over  us?  Wilt  thou  kill  me,  as  thou  didst 
the  Egyptian  yesterday  ?  "  Moses  learned  from  this  reply,  that  the 
fact  of  his  having  killed  the  Egyptian  was  known,  and  fearing  the 
wrath  of  Pharaoh,  he  fled  into  the  land  of  Midian. 

aS'. — Where  was  this  land? 

F. — Midian,  it  will  be  recollected,  was  one  of  the  sons  of  Abraham 
by  Keturah.  These  sons  all  settled  in  Arabia,  southward  and  east- 
ward from  the  home  of  Isaac.  At  the  time  of  Moses,  they  had 
penetrated  southward  as  far  as  Sinai  and  Horeb.  It  was  into  this 
region  that  Moses  fled  from  the  wrath  of  Pharaoh.  He  became  ac- 
quainted in  the  family  of  Jethro,  a  priest  of  Midian,  whose  flocks 
he  tended,  and  whose  daughter  Zipporah  he  married.  He  was  forty 
years  old  when  he  came  into  the  land  of  Midian,  and  here  he  resided 
forty  years. 

S. — What  more  can  you  tell  us  of  Jethro,  the  priest  of  Midian? 

F. — He  was  a  wise,  faithful,  judicious  man,  and  a  worshiper  of 
the  true  God.  On  one  occasion,  we  find  him  offering  sacrifices  to 
the  God  of  Israel  (Ex.  xviii.  12). 

;S'. — How  did  Moses  employ  himself  during  his  residence  in  the 
land  of  Midian  ? 

F. — We  do  not  certainly  know.  It  seems  to  have  been  the  quiet- 
est and  happiest  portion  of  his  life.  His  occupation  as  a  shepherd 
must  have  afforded  him  much  time  for  reflection  and  communion 
with  God.  He  may  have  written,  during  this  period,  the  book  of 
Genesis.     He  may  also  have  written  the  book  of  Job. 

S. — What  remarkable  appearance  did  Moses  witness,  near  the 
close  of  his  residence  with  Jethro  ? 


188  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  had  led  his  flock,  on  one  occasion,  near  to  Horeb,  the 
mount  of  God,  and  here  he  witnessed  a  most  remarkable  phenome- 
non— a  flame  of  fire  streaming  from  a  bush,  and  yet  the  bush  was 
not  consumed ;  and  as  he  drew  nigh  to  look  at  it,  a  voice  came  forth 
from  the  burning  bush,  warning  him  not  to  approach  too  near,  and 
directing  him  to  take  the  shoes  from  his  feet;  "for  the  place 
where  thou  standest  is  holy  ground." 

S. — What  further  did  God  say  to  Moses  at  this  time  ? 

F. — As  Moses  stood  listening  in  reverent  wonder,  the  voice  pro- 
ceeded to  say :  "I  am  the  God  of  thy  fathers,  the  God  of  Abraham, 
and  Isaac,  and  of  Jacob."  The  God  of  Israel,  having  thus  revealed 
himself,  goes  on  to  assure  Moses  that  he  had  seen  the  oppression  of 
his  brethren  in  Egypt,  and  heard  their  cry,  and  had  come  down  to 
deliver  them.  "  Come  now,"  says  he,  "  and  I  will  send  thee  unto 
Pharaoh,  that  thou  mayest  bring  my  people  out  of  Egypt."  But 
Moses  excuses  himself  from  so  hazardous  a  service :  "  Who  am  I 
that  I  should  stand  before  Pharaoh,  and  bring  forth  the  children  of 
Israel  out  of  Egypt  ?  "  God  therefore  encourages  him  by  an  assur- 
ance of  his  continual  presence  ;  reveals  himself  to  him  by  a  new 
name,  /  am  that  I  am  ;  promises  him  the  gift  of  miracles  with  which 
to  confound  all  gainsayers  ;  and  actually  performs  a  miracle  in  the 
presence  and  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  to  satisfy  him  as  to  the  divine 
authority  of  his  mission.  Still  Moses  pleads  to  be  excused.  He  is 
unwilling  to  leave  his  beloved  retirement,  and  enter  on  so  great  a 
work  :  "  Oh  Lord,  I  am  not  eloquent,  but  am  of  slow  speech,  and 
of  a  slow  tongue."  Hereupon  God  promises  to  be  with  his  mouth, 
and  to  teach  him  what  to  say ;  and  not  only  so,  to  give  him  Aaron  his 
brother  for  an  assistant,  who  was  known  to  be  an  eloquent  man. 

;S'. — To  what  conclusion  did  Moses  now  come  ? 

F. — He  dare  not  stand  out  and  excuse  himself  any  further.  He 
left  his  flock  to  the  care  of  his  servants,  returned  to  Jethro,  told 
him  what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  and  asked  permission  to  go  and 
visit  his  oppressed  brethren  in  Egj^pt.  And  without  a  word  of  ob- 
jection, Jethro  told  him  to  go  in  peace. 


CONVERSATION  XXIII. 

THE  PLAGUES  OF  EGYPT.— Departure  of  Moses  for  Egypt.— The  meeting  of  Moses 
and  Aaron. — Their  fir.st  acts. — Interview  with  the  king. — Their  request. — The  king's 
reply. — The  effect  on  the  Hebrews. — Miracle  of  the  Rod. — The  result. — Meet  the  king 
by  the  river. — Tlie  mystic  rod  laid  over  the  water. — The  miraculous  result. — Success  of 
the  magicians. — The  succession  of  the  plagues. 

Son. — At  the  age  of  eighty  years,  Moses  was  now  just  entering 
upon  the  great  Avork  of  his  life — that  for  which  his  whole  previous 
course  had  been  one  of  preparation.     What  did  he  do  first? 

Father. — He  took  his  wife  and  his  two  sons — took  also  the  rod  of 
God  in  his  hand,  and  commenced  his  journey  into  Egypt.  His  fam- 
ily, however,  accompanied  him  but  a  little  way.  They  returned  to 
Jethro,  to  await  the  issue  of  events. 

*S'. — Before  entering  Egypt,  who  came  out  into  the  wilderness  to 
meet  Moses? 

F. — It  was  Aaron,  his  brother.  The  two  brothers  had  not  met 
for  a  long  period,  and  now  they  came  together  under  very  peculiar 
circumstances.  They  met  under  a  joint  commission  from  God. 
They  had  it  in  charge  to  perform  a  work  which  no  unaided  mortal 
could  achieve.  They  first  went  to  the  elders  of  Israel,  delivered 
their  message,  and  performed  their  miracles  before  them  ;  and  the 
people,  we  are  told,  believed,  rejoiced,  bowed  their  heads,  and  wor- 
shiped the  Lord. 

S. — After  this,  Moses  and  Aaron  ventured  into  the  presence  of 
Pharaoh,  and  asked,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  that  the  Israelites 
might  go  out  into  the  desert,  and  hold  a  feast  unto  the  Lord  their 
God.     How  did  Pharaoh  receive  them  ? 

F. — He  answered  them  proudly,  insolently,  "  Who  is  the  Lord 
that  I  should  obey  his  voice  ?  I  know  not  the  Lord,  neither  will  I 
let  Israel  go."  He  went  on  to  chide  Moses  and  Aaron  for  hindering 
the  people  in  their  work.  He  insisted  that  the  people  had  not 
enough  to  do,  and  jjroceeded  to  increase  their  already  intolerable 
burthens.     They  must  make  brick,  as  before,  but  should  have  no 


190  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

straw;  and  if  the  usual  tale  of  brick  was  not  delivered,  they  should 
be  beaten.  And  when  the  people  expostulated,  he  refused  to  listen, 
but  continued  to  repeat  the  charge,  *•'  Ye  are  idle ;  ye  are  idle." 

S. — How  were  the  people  affected  by  this  result  ? 

F. — They  were  discouraged,  and  began  to  murmur.  Moses  also 
was  discouraged;  so  that  when  God  ordered  him  to  go  again  to 
Pharaoh,  he  said,  "  Behold,  the  children  of  Israel  will  not  hearken 
unto  me.  How  then  shall  Pharaoh  hear  me,  who  am  of  uncircum- 
cised  lips?"  But  God  told  him  to  go  and  deliver  his  message,  and 
assured  him  that,  though  Pharaoh  might  be  obstinate  for  a  while, 
he  would  at  length  be  humbled,  and  consent  to  let  the  people  go. 

S. — What  did  Moses  and  Aaron  now  do  ? 

F. — They  ventured  in  again,  and  stood  before  Pharaoh;  they 
repeated  the  request  which  they  had  before  made ;  and  to  assure 
him  of  the  authority  under  which  they  acted,  they  cast  down  their 
rod  before  him  and  it  became  a  serpent.  Pharaoh  was  of  course 
astonished,  and  he  called  around  him  his  magicians,  to  see  if  they 
could  do  the  same  with  their  enchantments.  And  the  magicians 
did  it,  or  they  seemed  to  do  it ;  for  they  cast  down  their  rods,  and 
they  became  serpents.  Howbeit,  Aaron's  serpent  prevailed  over 
theirs,  and  swallowed  them  all  up.  But  Pharaoh's  heart  was  har- 
dened, and  he  refused  to  let  Israel  go. 

S. — Where  did  Moses  next  meet  Pharaoh? 

F. — It  was  by  the  river  Nile.  He  demanded  of  the  monarch  the 
release  of  the  Israelites,  and  assured  him,  in  case  of  refusal,  that  the 
waters  of  the  river  should  be  turned  into  blood.  But  Pharaoh  was 
not  at  all  disposed  to  yield.  Wherefore,  the  mystic  rod  was  lifted, 
and  instantly  the  waters  of  Egypt — the  river,  the  ponds,  the  pools 
of  water — were  changed  into  blood ;  and  so  they  continued  for 
seven  successive  days.  This  was  a  terrible  infliction;  but  it  had 
no  softening  effect  upon  the  heart  of  the  monarch.  He  called  his 
magicians  ;  and  they  succeeded  in  doing,  in  a  small  way,  what  Moses 
had  done  throughout  the  land ;  they  changed  water  into  blood. 

S. — What  did  Moses  threaten  at  his  next  interview  with  the  king  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  191 

F. — He  said,  as  before,  "  Let  my  people  go  that  they  may  serve 
me.  And  if  thou  refuse,  behold  I  will  smite  all  thy  land  with 
frogs.  They  shall  come  up  into  thy  house,  and  into  thy  bed-cham- 
ber, and  into  thy  bed,  and  into  the  houses  of  thy  servants,  and  upon 
all  the  people ;  and  the  whole  land  shall  be  full  of  frogs."  But 
Pharaoh  disregarded  the  warning,  and  the  frogs  came.  They  came 
in  such  multitudes,  that  they  literally  covered  the  land  of  Egj^pt. 
And  though  the  magicians  succeeded  in  imitating  the  miracle,  yet 
the  infliction  was  so  disgusting  and  annoying,  that  Pharaoh  could 
not  endure  it.  He  called  for  Moses  and  Aaron,  and  besought  them 
that  they  would  entreat  the  Lord  to  take  away  the  frogs.  So 
Moses  entreated  the  Lord,  and  the  nuisance  was  abated.  The 
filthy  creatures  were  taken  away ;  but  Pharaoh's  promise  was  soon 
forgotten,  and  he  refused  to  let  the  people  go. 

aS'. — Please  tell  us  here  what  these  magicians  really  did  with  their 
enchantments.  Did  they  work  miracles,  or  did  they  only  counter- 
feit them  by  some  sleight  of  hand? 

F. — In  answer  to  your  inquiry,  it  may  be  remarked,  in  the  first 
place,  that  no  being  but  God  can  perform  a  proper  miracle.  A 
proper  miracle  involves  a  suspension  or  contravention  of  the  regu- 
lar course  of  nature ;  and  as  God  has  established  this  course,  so  he 
alone  can  suspend  or  contravene  it.  Magicians,  conjurers,  nec- 
romancers, devils,  and  those  who  are  under  their  influence  may  do 
strange  things — things  which  to  us  may  seem  supernatural  or  unac- 
countable ;  but  they  cannot  perform  proper  miracles.  This  is  the 
prerogative  of  God  alone. 

This  being  premised,  the  case  before  us  may  be  resolved  in  one 
of  two  ways.  Moses  performed  proper  miracles;  or  rather,  God 
performed  them  through  his  instrumentality.  And  now,  if  we  sup- 
pose that  the  magicians  did  the  same  things,  they  did  them  as  mere 
instruments  in  the  hands  of  God.  God  used  them  as  his  instru- 
ments in  performing  the  miracles,  that  he  might  more  thoroughly 
try  the  heart  of  Pharaoh,  and  the  more  illustriously  display  his 
own  power  and  glory.     But  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  an}^  real 


192  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

miracle  was  j)eribrmed  by  the  magicians.  They  did  uncertain 
things  with  their  enchantments.,  which  is  equivalent  to  saying  that 
they  did  not  really  do  them  at  all.  They  imposed  upon  the  eyes  of 
spectators,  as  jugglers  then  did  all  over  the  East,  and  as  they  do  in 
our  own  times. 

S. — But  to  return  to  the  narrative  ;  what  infliction  comes  next  ? 

F. — God  next  directs  Moses  to  smite  the  ground  with  his  rod, 
that  the  dust  of  it  may  become  lice.  They  did  so  and  instantly  the 
sands  of  Egypt  are  transformed  into  little  crawling  vermin  which 
our  translators  call  lice.  They  swarmed  upon  man  and  beast 
throughout  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  The  magicians  now  acknowledge 
themselves  outdone.  They  could  make  frogs,  or  seem  to  make 
them ;  but  they  could  not  make  lice.  They  went  to  Pharaoh,  and 
told  him  that  they  were  convinced.  This  is  the  finger  of  God. 
Nevertheless,  Pharaoh's  heart  is  hardened,  and  he  will  not  let 
Israel  g6. 

S. — What  is  God's  next  demand  upon  the  relentless  monarch  ? 

F. — "  Let  my  people  go  that  they  may  serve  me  ;  and  if  thou  re- 
fuse, behold  I  will  send  swarms  of  flies  upon  thee  " — biting,  sting- 
ing, tormenting  flies — "  and  they  shall  be  upon  thee,  and  thy  ser- 
vants, and  upon  all  thy  people.  But  in  the  land  of  Goshen,  where 
the  Israelites  dwell,  there  shall  be  no  flies."  And  the  Lord  did  so. 
The  flies  came  and  filled  the  houses  in  the  land  of  Egj^pt.  But 
Goshen  escaped  ;  none  of  the  flies  came  there. 

S. — How  was  the  hardened  monarch  affected  by  this  visitation  ? 

F. — It  was  more  astounding  to  him  than  the  preceding.  He  was 
sorely  afflicted  and  distressed  by  it.  So  he  called  for  Moses  and 
Aaron,  and  proposed  that  the  Israelites  should  hold  a  sacrifice  unto 
the  Lord  their  God,  in  the  land  of  Egypt  Avhere  they  were.  But 
Moses  said,  "  No  ;  we  cannot  do  this.  We  shall  sacrifice  the  abomi- 
nation of  the  Egyptians  unto  the  Lord  our  God,  and  they  will  stone 
us."  Pharaoh  consented,  therefore,  that  they  should  go  out  of 
Egypt ;  only  go  not  far  away.  "  And  entreat  the  Lord  that  these 
tormenting  flies  be  destroyed."     So  Moses  went  out  from  Pharaoh 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  193 

and  prayed  unto  the  Lord,  and  the  judgment  was  removed.  Still, 
the  heart  of  Pharaoh  was  hardened,  and  he  refused  to  let  the 
people  go. 

*S'. — What  was  the  next  trial  upon  the  hard  heart  of  Pharaoh  ? 

F. — "  Let  my  geople  go  that  they  may  serve  me ;  else  I  will  visit 
all  thy  cattle  with  a  deadly  murrain,  and  while  the  disease  shall  be 
upon  thy  cattle,  it  shall  not  touch  the  cattle  of  the  Israelites." 
And  all  this  was  verified  on  the  following  day.  The  cattle  of  Egypt 
in  great  multitudes  died,  but  the  flocks  of  the  Israelites  were  spared 
alive. 

S. — What  plague  was  next  visited  ? 

F. — God  directs  Moses  and  Aaron  to  take  handfuls  of  ashes 
from  the  furnace,  in  the  sight  of  Pharaoh,  and  throw  them  into  the 
air,  to  be  blown  about  everywhere  by  the  winds  of  heaven  ;  and 
wherever  these  ashes  fly,  they  carry  with  them  a  fatal  poison.  The 
bodies  of  the  Egyptians  begin  to  break  out  in  swelling  scabs  and 
blisters,  and  their  whole  surface  becomes  a  noisome  spring  of  sores. 
So  far  from  resisting  this  torturing  plague,  the  bodies  of  the  magi- 
cians were  affected  by  it.  The  boils  and  blisters  covered  them.  In 
their  misery  they  went  to  Pharaoh,  and  Avarned  him  not  to  trifle 
further  with  the  mighty  power  of  God. 

S. — What  was  the  next  message  from  God  to  Pharaoh  ? 

F. — "  Let  my  people  go  that  they  may  serve  me  ;  else  I  will  send 
upon  Egypt  a  terrible  storm  of  hail,  such  as  hath  not  been  from  the 
beginning  until  now.  Send,  therefore,  and  shelter  what  of  thy  cat- 
tle is  left,  that  the  hail  destroy  them  not."  And  such  of  the  Egyp- 
tians as  feared  the  Lord  gathered  their  cattle  into  houses,  while 
others  left  them  in  the  fields.  And  on  the  morrow  the  threatened 
judgment  came.  A  storm  of  thunder,  lightning  and  hail  burst  upon 
devoted  Egypt, — the  more  terrible  to  the  inhabitants,  because  such 
a  scene  had  never  before  been  witnessed  there.  The  fire  ran  along 
the  ground,  and  the  hail  smote  all  that  was  in  the  field.  Only  in 
the  land  of  Goshen  there  was  no  hail. 

*S'. — And  how  was  Pharaoh  now  affected  ? 


194  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — Pharaoh  now  was  terribly  frightened.  He  sent  in  haste  for 
Moses  and  Aaron,  and  said,  "  It  is  enough.  The  Lord  is  righteous, 
but  I  and  my  people  are  wicked.  Entreat  the  Lord  that  there  be 
no  more  such  mighty  thunderings  and  hail,  and  I  will  let  you  go, 
and  ye  shall  stay  no  longer."  And  Moses,  though  he  had  no  great 
confidence  in  the  monarch's  promises,  consented  to  intercede  on  his 
behalf.  In  answer  to  the  praj'er  of  Moses,  the  storm  passed  quickly 
over,  the  sky  became  clear,  and  the  thunder,  the  rain,  and  the  hail 
were  stayed.  And  Pharaoh  again  breaks  his  promise.  He  sins  yet 
more,  both  he  and  his  servants,  and  will  not  let  the  people  go. 

S. — It  has  been  thought  by  some,  that  God's  treatment  of 
Pharaoh  was  hard  and  cruel,  in  visiting  him  with  so  many  stripes 
and  judgments.     What  is  your  opinion  on  the  subject  ? 

F. — So  far  from  hardship  and  cruelty,  it  is  obvious  that  God's 
dealings  with  Pharaoh  were  most  forbearing  and  merciful.  Where 
shall  we  look  for  such  an  instance  of  forbearance  as  in  the  case  be- 
fore us  ?  God  had  raised  up  Pharaoh,  and  blessed  him  with  riches, 
honor  and  power ;  he  had  placed  him  on  the  throne  of  one  of  the 
greatest  kingdoms  on  the  earth ;  he  had  committed  his  people  Israel 
for  a  time  to  his  hands ;  and  he  had  cruelly,  murderously  oppressed 
them.  God  had  called  on  him  repeatedly  to  relax  the  hard  hand  of 
oppression,  and  let  his  people  go  that  they  might  serve  him, — 
accompanying  the  call,  in  every  instance,  with  the  most  astounding 
miracles, — enough  to  convince  any  mortal  that  the  message  had 
come  from  God.  He  extorted  from  Pharaoh  promise  after  promise, 
that  if  the  inflicted  judgment  could  be  removed,  he  would  let  God's 
people  go.  And  yet  he  did  not.  He  hardened  himself  more  and 
more,  and  the  oppressed  Israelites  were  retained.  And  now  what 
is  to  be  done  ?  Will  God  wait  upon  Pharaoh  any  longer,  and  try 
him  further,  or  will  he  lift  his  hand  in  vengeance  and  cut  him  off? 

S. — These  are  solemn  questions.    We  hope  you  will  answer  them. 

F. — The  sequel  shows  that  God's  thoughts  and  ways  are  not  like 
ours.  He  has  a  yet  further  probation  in  reserve  for  cruel  Pharaoh. 
So  he  threatens  him  with  a  swarm  of  locusts — one  of  the  most  terri- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  196 

ble  scourges  that  ever  fell  upon  the  children  of  the  East.  They  are 
to  cover  the  face  of  the  earth ;  they  are  to  fill  the  houses  of  Pharaoh 
and  his  servants,  and  eat  up  all  that  the  hail  has  left.  This  threat 
alarmed  the  servants  of  Pharaoh,  and  they  entreated  the  hardened 
monarch  to  yield.  "  Knowest  thou  not  that  in  this  unequal  con- 
test, Egypt  is  already  spoiled  ? "  So  Moses  and  Aaron  are  called 
for,  and  a  compromise  is  attempted.  The  men  of  Israel  may  go  and 
serve  the  Lord,  but  their  wives  and  children  must  be  left  behind. 
But  to  this  proposal  Moses  will  not  listen.  Hence  he  is  driven  out 
from  the  presence  of  Pharaoh,  and  the  judgment  comes.  God  causes 
an  east  wind  to  blow  all  that  day  and  night,  and  the  next  day,  the 
land  is  covered  and  darkened  with  the  locusts.  Swarm  after  swarm 
comes  up  from  the  east,  and  settles  down  upon  the  devoted  country, 
till  not  a  green  thing  is  left  in  all  the  land  of  Egypt.  And  now 
the  same  thing  is  acted  over  as  in  the  former  instances.  Pharaoh 
is  affrighted  and  humbled.  He  confesses  his  sins,  and  prays  to  be 
forgiven.  "Entreat  the  Lord  only  this  once,  that  he  will  take 
away  the  locusts,  and  I  will  let  the  people  go."  Moses,  therefore, 
intercedes  again,  and  again  the  judgment  is  removed.  And  again 
Pharaoh's  heart  is  hardened,  and  he  will  not  let  the  people  go. 

S. — And  now  what  does  Moses  do  ? 

F. — Without  going  to  the  king  with  his  usual  message,  Moses 
now  stretches  forth  his-  hand  towards  heaven,  and  calls  for  darJcness 
— a  thick,  impenetrable  darkness,  that  may  be  felt.  And  instantly 
the  orbs  of  heaven  are,  as  it  were,  quenched.  At  any  rate,  they  are 
so  obscured  and  covered,  that  not  a  ray  of  light  from  them,  for 
three  whole  days,  falls  upon  the  desolate  land  of  Egypt.  At  the 
same  time,  there  was  light  in  all  the  dwellings  of  the  children  of 
Israel.  And  now  Pharaoh  is  again  aroused.  He  calls  for  jNIoses 
and  Aaron,  and  tries  to  compound  the  matter  with  them :  "  You 
may  take  your  wives  and  children,  but  leave  your  flocks  and  herds 
behind."  But  on  this  point,  Moses  is  inflexible.  He  will  make  no 
concessions  :  "  The  flocks  and  herds  must  go  with  us ;  there  shall 
not  a  hoof  be  left  behind." 


196  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

At  this  Pharaoh  is  enraged.  He  drives  God's  messengers  from 
him,  and  tells  them  never  to  come  into  his  presence  again  :  "  In  the 
day  that  ye  see  my  face  again,  3'e  shall  die."  And  Moses  said, 
"  Thou  hast  v^ell  spoken  ;  I  will  see  thy  face  no  more." 

S. — The  prime  object  of  these  successive  visitations  was  to  attest 
the  Divine  authority  of  the  mission  of  Moses.  Had  they  any  other 
object  aside  from  this? 

F. — I  think  they  had.  They  were  aimed  directly  and  designedly 
at  the  idolatries  of  Egypt,  with  a  view  to  bring  them  into  contempt. 
Thus,  as  the  Egyptians  were  worshipers  of  the  Nile,  God  turns  it 
into  blood ;  and  then  causes  it  to  breed  myriads  of  frogs,  to  annoy 
and  disgust  its  stupid  votaries.  As  they  worshiped  cattle,  God 
sends  swarms  of  flies  to  torment  their  divinities,  and  a  grievous 
murrain  to  destroy  them.  Among  the  objects  of  their  worship 
were  the  sun,  moon  and  stars.  Hence,  when  these  were  eclipsed, 
their  divinities  utterly  failed  them.  The  Egyptian  priests  were 
fastidiously  cleanly.  When,  therefore,  the  whole  dust  of  Egypt  was 
turned  into  lice,  swarming  alike  upon  priest  and  people,  the  wor- 
ship of  their  divinities  was  entirely  suspended,  and  the  magicians 
were  constrained  to  confess,  "  This  is  the  finger  of  God." 


CONVEBSATION  XXIY. 

THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  THE  PEOPLE.— The  death  plague.— Borrowing  of  the 
Egyptians. — Ranieses. — Route  of  Hebrews. — Their  number. — Pillar  of  cloud  and  pillar 
of  fire. — Duration  of  stay  in  Egypt. — Feast  of  tabernacles. — Its  institution. — The  pur- 
suit by  Pharaoh  and  his  army. — Terror  of  the  Hebrews.— First  murmur  of  discontent. — 
Passage  of  the  Red  Sea. — Was  it  a  miracle. 

Son. — God  had  now  sent  ten  successive  miraculous  plagues  upon 
Pharaoh  and  his  people,  with  a  view  to  humble  them,  and  constrain 
them  to  send  away  the  Israelites.  But  all  had  been  in  vain.  Israel 
was  still  in  bondage,  and  the  heart  of  the  monarch  is  harder  than 
ever.  Are  this  people  never  to  be  delivered?  Are  God's  promises 
in  regard  to  them  to  fail? 

F. — No ;  Pharaoh  is  entirely  in  the  hands  of  God,  and  the 
resources  of  his  power  are  not  exhausted.  God  will  send  one  visit- 
ation more,  and  that  shall  be  effectual.  "  About  midnight,"  saith 
the  Lord,  "  I  will  go  out  into  the  midst  of  Egypt,  and  all  the  fiist- 
horn  m  the  land  of  Egypt  shall  die.,  from  the  first-born  of  Pharaoh 
that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  unto  the  first  born  of  the  maid-servant 
that  is  behind  the  mill,  and  all  the  first-born  of  beasts.  And  there 
shall  be  a  great  cry  throughout  the  land  of  Egypt ;  but  against  the 
children  of  Israel  shall  not  a  dog  move  his  tongue.  And  the 
Egyptians  shall  come  down  unto  you,  and  bow  themselves  before 
you,  and  say.  Get  ye  out,  and  all  the  people  that  follow  you.  And 
after  that,  ye  shall  go  out." 

S. — Here  certainly  is  a  most  terrible  and  yet  merciful  prediction. 
What  were  the  people  directed  to  do  in  preparation  for  it  ? 

F. — They  were  directed  to  go  out  among  the  Egyptians,  and  ask 
of  them  favors — valuable  gifts,  jewels  of  gold  and  of  silver ;  for  God 
would  not  suffer  his  people  to  go  out  from  their  hard  toil  and  ser- 
vice empty-handed.  And  the  Lord  gave  the  people  favor  in  the 
sight  of  the  Egyptians,  and  they  gave  to  the  children  of  Israel 
whatsoever  they  asked ;  insomuch  that  it  is  said,  "  They  spoiled  the 
Egyptians." 


198  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Our  translators  say  that  the  Israelites  horroived  of  the  Egyp- 
tians.    Is  that  the  sense  of  the  original  ? 

F. — Not  necessarily.  The  words  translated  lorrotv  and  lend  may 
as  well  be  rendered  ask  and  give.  There  is  no  intimation  in  the 
original  of  any  fraudulent  design  on  the  part  of  the  Israelites. 

S. — Was  anything  more  to  be  done,  in  preparation  for  the  coming 
judgment  and  deliverance  ? 

F. — Yes,  one  thing  more.  Every  householder  in  Israel  was  to 
take  a  lamb  of  a  year  old,  without  blemish ;  and  on  the  fourteenth 
day  of  the  month  at  even  the  lamb  was  to  be  slain.  The  house- 
holder was  then  to  take  of  the  blood  of  the  lamb,  and  sprinkle  the 
door-posts  of  his  house ;  and  the  blood  upon  the  door-posts  was  to 
be  a  sign  to  the  destroying  angel,  that  he  might  pass  over  the  houses 
where  it  was  sprinkled,  and  not  enter  into  them  to  destroy.  And 
as  to  the  flesh  of  the  lamb,  they  were  to  roast  it,  and  eat  it,  that  very 
night,  with  unleavened  bread  and  with  bitter  herbs ;  and  so  much 
of  it  as  was  not  eaten  that  very  night  was  to  be  burned  in  the  fire. 

S. — Of  what  Jewish  festival  was  this  the  origin  ? 

F. — The  Passover — the  most  solemn  annual  festival  of  the  Jews. 
It  was  first  observed  on  the  night  when  they  went  out  of  Egypt ; 
and  ever  afterwards  observed  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first 
month.*     The  feast  was  to  be  kept  seven  days. 

S. — How  were  the  people  employed  on  the  evening  of  the  four- 
teenth day  ? 

F. — It  was  a  busy  time  in  all  the  families  of  Israel.  The  paschal 
lambs  were  slain,  the  door-posts  were  sprinkled,  the  flesh  was 
roasted,  the  unleavened  bread  was  mixed,  and  all  things  were  got 
in  readiness,  according  to  the  commandment. 

And  now  the  impending  judgment  fell.  At  midnight,  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  smote  all  the  first-born  of  Egypt,  from  Pharaoh  down 
to  his  meanest  servant.  There  was  not  a  house  of  the  Egyptians  in 
which  there  was  not  one  dead. 

*S'. — And  how  was  Pharaoh  noAV  affected  ? 


*Aus\veriug  to  a  part  of  our  March  aud  April — ou  the  first  full  moon  after  the  Equinox. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  199 

F. — He  rose  up  in  haste,  and  called  for  Moses  and  Aaron,  and 
said  unto  them,  "  Rise  up  and  get  you  forth  from  among  my  people, 
and  take  with  you  your  wives  and  your  children,  your  flocks  and 
your  herds,  and  all  that  ye  have,  and  go,  serve  the  Lord  as  ye  have 
said."  The  Egyptians  also  were  urgent  upon  the  people,  that  the}'' 
might  be  sent  out  of  the  land  in  haste ;  for  they  said,  "  We  be  all 
dead  men."  And  the  Lord  gave  his  people  favor  in  the  sight  of  the 
Egyptians,  and  they  gave  unto  them  silver  and  gold,  and  raiment — 
all  that  they  desired. 

*S'. — And  the  Israelites, — what  were  they  doing  ? 

F. — Seizing  the  favorable  moment,  they  commenced  their  journey 
out  of  Egvpt  immediately.  They  took  their  dough  before  it  was 
leavened,  with  their  kneading  troughs  and  clothes  upon  their  shoul- 
ders ;  and  as  all  things  had  been  gotten  in  readiness  previously,  by 
the  command  of  Moses,  they  entered  on  their  march  at  once.  The 
place  of  their  departure  was  Rameses,  in  the  land  of  Goshen  ;  and 
traveling  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  about  twenty  miles,  they  en- 
camped at  Succoth. 

>S'. — How  many  left  Egypt  at  this  time  ? 

F. — There  were  six  hundred  thousand  footmen,  besides  women 
and  children  ;  also  a  mixed  multitude  which  went  out  with  them, — 
probably  not  less  than  two  millions  in  all.  They  took  also  their 
flocks  and  herds,  Avhich  were  very  numerous.  Here,  then,  was  a  vast 
cavalcade — a  vast  collection  of  human  beings  and  brute  beasts,  to  be 
started  on  a  sudden  at  the  dead  of  night — to  be  marched  out  into 
the  desert,  they  hardly  knew  whither.  But  then  they  had  an  expe- 
rienced and  divinely  commissioned  leader,  and,  what  was  infinitely 
better,  i\\<dj  had  the  infallible  guidance  of  their  covenant  God.  He 
went  before  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and  of  fire  by  night ;  so  that 
in  following  him,  they  could  not  mistake  the  path  of  duty,  or  of  safety. 

>S'. — How  long  were  the  children  of  Israel  in  Egypt  ? 

F. — About  two  hundred  and  fifteen  years. 

S. — Is  it  likely  that,  in  this  time,  they  could  have  increased  from 
sevent}'  souls  to  the  number  of  from  one  to  two  millions? 


200  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — The  statement  is  not  incredible  ;  for,  in  the  first  phace,  when 
tliey  went  into  Egypt,  they  were  charged  by  Joseph  to  bring,  not 
only  their  father,  but  their  households  with  them.  This  included 
not  only  their  wives  and  children,  but  their  laborers  and  household 
servants.  How  many  servants  there  were,  we  are  not  informed ; 
but  the  males  among  them  had  all  been  circumcised,  and  they  were 
considered  as  belonging  to  the  people  of  God.  Then  we  are  told 
that  the  Israelites  proper  "  increased  abundantly,  and  that  the  land 
was  filled  with  them."  I  do  not  suppose  that  any  miracle  of  multi- 
plication took  place  ;  for  none  was  needed.  Only  allow  that  they 
were  uncommonly  blessed  in  this  resjDect,  that  their  children  were 
numerous  and  healthy,  that  they  miarried  young,  and  constituted 
fruitful  families,  and  the  supposed  difficulty  disappears. 

jS. — What  is  meant  when  it  is  said  that  the  Children  of  Israel 
"  went  up  hariiessed  out  of  Egpyt  ?  " 

F. — Not  that  they  were  all  armed,  but  only  that  they  marched  in 
military  order,  rank  and  file,  and  not  as  a  confused  rabble.  The 
early  military  education  of  Moses  would  enable  him  to  arrange  this 
matter  successfully. 

S. — There  is  some  difficulty  in  conceiving  of  the  march  of  these 
two  millions  of  people  from  Rameses  to  Succoth  in  a  single  night. 
They  were  aroused  suddenly  at  or  near  midnight,  on  the  fourteenth 
day  of  the  first  month.  They  eat  what  they  can  of  the  lamb,  and 
burn  the  rest.  They  rush  out  among  their  Egyptian  neighbors,  to 
beg  or  borrow  of  them  for  the  journey.  They  clutch  everything 
as  it  is, — their  dough  before  it  is  leavened,  their  kneading  troughs 
and  clothes, — and  hasten  away  before  the  morning.  Their  train 
extends  for  miles  in  length, — with  their  flocks  and  herds  for  many 
miles.  Please  consider  this  matter  further  and  make  it  more  plain 
to  us. 

F. — It  is  easy  to  multiply  difficulties  in  a  case  like  this  ;  but  they 
are  not  insuperable.  As  before  remarked,  the  Israelites  had  been 
expecting  to  go  for  weeks,  perhaps  for  months,  and  had  been  preparing 
for  the  journey.     Four  days  previous,  they  were  told  to  have  their 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  201 

lambs  in  readiness,  and  told  when  to  kill  them.  On  the  night  of 
the  fourteenth,  they  had  probably  been  up  all  night,  awaiting  the 
summons ;  and  when  it  came,  they  were  soon  in  their  places,  under 
their  respective  leaders  and  ready  for  the  march.  Those  who  were 
not  at  Rameses  would  join  the  company  on  the  way ;  those  who 
had  charge  of  the  flocks  were  also  in  readiness,  and  all  were  in  suc- 
cessful motion  before  morning.  Probably  no  army  was  ever  in  a 
better  condition  to  start  at  a  moment's  warning,  than  were  these 
Israelites,  when  they  went  out  of  Egypt. 

*S'. — What  injunctions  were  laid  upon  the  Israelites  soon  after 
leaving  Egypt  ? 

F. — When  they  had  come  to  their  first  encampment,  the  Lord 
took  occasion  to  renew  upon  them  the  institution  of  the  Passover, 
to  be  observed  religiously  in  all  their  generations.  This  was  not 
only  a  commemorative  ordinance,  designed  to  keep  in  mind  their 
deliverance  from  Egypt,  but  it  also  had  an  onward  aspect.  It  w^as 
a  type, — and  is  so  spoken  of  in  many  Scriptures, — a  tj-pe  of  the 
deliverance  of  all  true  believers  from  a  worse  than  Egyptian  bond- 
age— the  harder  bondage  of  sin  and  death.  It  was  as  answering  to 
the  paschal  lamb,  that  our  Savior  is  so  often  called  "  the  Lamb  of 
God."     He  is  also  "  our  Passover  slain  for  us." 

There  was  another  injunction  laid  upon  the  Israelites  in  connec- 
tion with  their  deliverance  from  Egypt.  As  all  the  first-born  in 
Israel  were  spared  when  the  first-born  in  Egypt  were  destroyed, 
God  claimed  henceforth  the  first-born  of  Israel  as  in  a  peculiar 
sense  his  own.  The  first-born  of  clean  beasts  were  to  be  offered  in 
sacrifice  ;  while  the  first-born  of  unclean  beasts,  and  of  men,  were 
to  be  redeemed  by  other  offerings.  Thus  our  Savior,  who  was  the 
first-born  of  his  mother,  was  redeemed  b}'  the  offering  of  "  two 
turtle  doves,  or  two  young  pigeons"  (Luke  ii.  24). 

^S*. — When  the  Israelites  left  Egypt,  why  were  they  not  led  into 
Canaan  b}-  the  nearest  route,  which  would  have  brought  them  there 
in  a  few  days  ? 

F. — Because  this  would  have  led  them  through  the  land  of  the 


202  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Philistines,  and  involved  tliem  in  bloody  and  destructive  wars. 
God  preferred  rather  to  lead  them  by  the  way  of  the  Red  sea. 

S. — You  said  that  their  first  encampment  was  at  Succoth,  which 
signifies  booths  or  tents.  What  annual  festival  was  enjoined  to 
commemorate  this  ? 

F. — It  was  the  feast  of  tahemades,  that  all  their  generations 
mifrht  know  that  the  Lord  made  them  to  dwell  in  booths,  when 
he  brought  them  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

S. — What  was  the  course  of  the  Israelites  after  leaving  Succoth? 

F. — They  pursued  their  journey  eastward  unto  Etham,  near  the 
Red  sea.  From  this  point,  instead  of  going  directly  forward  round 
the  northern  extremity  of  the  sea  (now  Suez)  into  Arabia,  they 
were  directed  to  turn  southward,  and  encamp  at  Pihahiroth, 
between  Migdol  and  the  sea.  This  must  have  seemed  a  strange 
movement  to  the  unbelieving  in  Israel,  as  it  certainly  was  to  Pha- 
raoh and  his  people,  who  constantly  kept  their  spies  upon  them: 
For  when  Pharaoh  learned  what  course  the  fugitives  had  taken,  he 
said  at  once,  "  The  wilderness  hath  hedged  them  in ;  they  are 
entangled  in  the  wilderness  ;  up,  let  us  pursue  after  them  and  bring 
them  back."  So  he  mustered  all  his  chariots  and  horsemen,  and 
madly  rushed  forth  in  pursuit  of  the  Israelites. 

S. — It  is  repeatedly  said  in  this  narrative,  that  the  Lord  hardened 
the  heart  of  Pharaoh  ;  and  as  frequently  that  Pharaoh  hardened  his 
own  heart.     How  are  these  passages  to  be  reconciled? 

F. — I  answer ;  Pharaoh  hardened  his  own  heart,  by  voluntarily 
pursuing  such  a  course  as  tended  of  necessity,  as  men  are  consti- 
tuted, to  harden  his  heart.  God  may  be  said  to  have  hardened  his 
heart — not  by  any  special  agency,  or  by  interfering  in  any  way,  with 
Pharaoh's  freedom — but  by  continuing  him  in  being,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  all  his  faculties  and  powers,  and  by  continuing  in  regular 
operation  all  those  laws  of  matter  and  mind,  under  the  influence  of 
which,  as  Pharaoh  was  acting,  his  heart  must  become  dreadfully 
hard.  Such  a  result  could  not  have  been  prevented  but  by  a  mira- 
cle, which  God  was  under  no  obligations  to  perform.     In  this  view 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  203 

of  tlic  case,  the  two  representations  are  perfectly  harmonious. 
Pharaoli  hardened  his  own  heart  voluntarily — by  a  voluntary  per- 
sistence in  sin ;  and  God  hardened  it  provideiitiallt/ — by  continuing 
him  under  his  providential  control,  and  not  interposing  to  prevent 
the  natural  consequences  of  his  own  obstinacy  and  wickedness. 

S. — When  the  Israelites  saw  that  the  Egyptians  were  pursuing 
them,  how  were  they  affected  ? 

F. — They  were  greatly  terrified,  and  began  at  once  to  murmur 
against  Moses  and  against  God. 

S. — What  did  Moses  do,  in  this  emergency  ? 

F. — He  said  unto  the  people,  "  Fear  not ;  stand  still  and  see  the 
salvation  of  the  Lord  which  he  will  show  j^ou  to-day  ;  for  as  to  the 
Egyptians  of  whom  ye  are  afraid,  ye  shall  see  their  faces  no  more 
forever."  And  Moses  stretched  out  his  hand  over  the  sea,  and  the 
Lord  caused  the  sea  to  go  back  by  a  strong  east  wind  all  that  night, 
and  the  waters  were  divided.  And  the  children  of  Israel  went  into 
the  midst  of  the  sea  upon  dry  ground,  and  the  Avaters  were  a  wall 
unto  them  upon  the  right  hand  and  the  left,  and  the  Egyptians 
pursued  after  them  into  the  midst  of  the  sea,  not  seeming  to  know 
whither  they  went.  And  as  it  drew  towards  morning,  and  the 
Israelites  were  safely  landed  on  the  eastern  side,  Moses  stretched 
out  his  hand  again  over  the  sea,  and  the  divided  waters  returned 
unto  their  place,  and  whelmed  the  Egyptian  army  in  one  common 
ruin.  There  remained  not  so  much  as  one  of  them  to  tell  of  their 
destruction.  And  when  the  sun  arose,  the  Israelites  saw  their  dead 
bodies  drifting  upon  the  shore. 

S. — How  were  the  people  affected  by  this  great  deliverance  ? 

F. — They  rejoiced,  and  shouted  in  great  earnest.  They  sung  that 
triumphant  song  recorded  in  Exodus  fifteenth  :  "  I  will  sing  unto 
the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed  gloriously ;  the  horse  and  his  rider 
hath  he  thrown  into  the  sea.  The  Lord  is  my  strength  and  my 
song,  and  he  is  become  my  salvation." 

S. — Do  we  know  the  particular  part  of  the  sea  over  which  the 
Israelites  crossed  ? 


204  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — We  do  not.  We  only  know  that  it  was  near  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  western  arm  of  the  sea,  probably  a  few  miles  south 
of  Suez.  Here  the  sea  is  narrow,  not  more  than  two  or  three  miles 
over,  and  could  easily  have  been  crossed  in  a  single  night. 

S. — Some  think  that  there  was  no  proper  miracle  in  this  dividing 
of  the  sea ;  that  the  east  wind  drove  back  the  waters,  so  as  to  leave 
a  fording  place  dry.     What  do  you  think  of  such  a  statement  ? 

F. — It  does  not  fully  answer  to  the  description  of  the  sacred 
writer,  or  to  the  magnitude  of  the  event  as  referred  to  in  other 
parts  of  the  Bible.  The  waters  were  divided,  and  stood  up  as  a  wall 
on  either  side  of  the  Israelites.  And  when  Moses  lifted  his  rod, 
they  rushed  back  to  their  place,  and  the  Egyptians  were  instantly 
destroyed.  There  is  nothing  gained  by  endeavoring  to  exclude  the 
idea  of  miracle  from  this  great  and  glorious  deliverance. 


CONVERSATION  XXV. 

FROJI  TPIE  RED  SEA  TO  SINAI.— The  inarch  to  the  desert.— Incidents  by  the  way. 
— Famine  threatened. — Sigliing  for  tiie  flesh-pots  of  Egypt. — Bread  of  heaven. — First 
mention  of  the  Sabbath  since  the  creation. — A  supply  of  quails. — Wonderful  circum- 
stance of  the  manna. — A  pot  full  preserved. — Moses  smites  the  rock. — Remarkable 
result. — First  battle. — Their  enemies. — Where  they  came  from. — First  mention  of 
Joshua. — Pious  Jethro. — His  advice. — Establishment  of  courts  of  justice. — Mount  Sinai. 

Son. — After  crossing  the  Red  sea,  where  did  the  people  go  ? 

Father. — Moses  marched  his  people  three  days'  journey,  eastward, 
into  the  desert  of  Sliur, — where  they  found  no  water.  And  when 
they  came  to  the  Fountains  at  Marah,  they  could  not  drink  of  them, 
for  they  were  bitter.  Wherefore,  Moses  took  a  branch  from  a  tree 
which  the  Lord  had  showed  him,  and  cast  it  into  the  waters, — and 
they  were  sweet.  The  next  remove  of  the  Israelites  was  in  a 
south-easterly  direction  unto  Elim,  where  were  twelve  fountains  of 
pure  water,  and  three-score  and  ten  palm  trees — a  delightful  place 
for  their  encampment.  Yet  they  tarried  not  long  to  enjoy  it ;  but 
turning  a  south-easterly  course,  they  came  again  upon  the  shore  of 
the  Red  sea.  From  this  point  they  traveled  due  east  into  what 
was  called  the  Wilderness  of  Sin,  or  Sinai. 

aS*. — A  full  month  had  now  elapsed  since  the  children  of  Israel 
came  out  of  Egypt,  and  the  provisions  which  they  brought  with 
them  were  consumed.  And  what  were  they  to  do  ?  In  a  dry  and 
barren  desert,  how  were  these  two  millions  of  people  to  be  fed  ?  I 
do  not  much  wonder  that  the  faithless  among  them  began  to  mur- 
mur and  complain.  "Why  have  ye  brought  up  this  multitude 
into  the  wilderness,  to  kill  them  with  hunger?  Would  to  God 
that  we  had  lived  and  died  in  Egypt,  where  we  sat  by  the  flesh-pots, 
and  did  eat  bread  to  the  full  ?  "  What  did  the  Lord  say  to  them 
on  tliis  trying  occasion  ? 

F. — He  said,  "Behold  I  will  rain  bread  from  heaven  for  you,  and 
ye  shall  go  out  and  gather  a  supply  of  it  day  by  day.  Let  none  of 
it  be  kept  over  from  one  day  to  another,  except  on  the  sixth  day. 


206  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

wlien  3' e  shall  gather  twice  as  much  as  on  any  other  da}' ;  for  on 
the  seventh  day,  the  Sabbath,  it  shall  not  be  found." 

^S'. — Is  not  this  the  first  mention,  in  the  Scriptures,  of  the  weekly 
Sabbath,  after  its  institution  ? 

F. — It  is.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  it  was  observed 
by  the  patriarchs ;  since  we  know  that  they  divided  their  time  into 
weeks  of  seven  days.  The  Sabbath,  3^ou  perceive,  is  referred  to 
here,  not  as  a  new  institution,  but  as  one  already  known,  and  in 
accordance  with  which  the  supply  of  manna  was  to  be  regulated. 

S. — What  more  did  God  do  for  Israel  at  this  time  ? 

F. — God  manifested  himself  in  visible  glory  to  the  congregation, 
reproved  their  murmurings,  and  promised  them  not  only  bread,  but 
flesh  to  eat.  So  in  the  evening,  vast  multitudes  of  quails  made 
their  appearance,  and  covered  the  camp,  and  the  people  took  of 
them  as  many  as  they  needed.  The  supply  of  flesh,  however,  at 
this  time  was  only  temporary.  On  the  following  morning,  as  many 
of  the  quails  as  had  not  been  killed,  flew  away.  But  the  manna 
was  a  permanent  provision.  It  continued  to  be  dispensed,  day  by 
day,  for  forty  years,  until  the  people  reached  the  promised  land. 

S. — What  was  done  to  commemorate  this  w^onderful  supply  of 
bread  ? 

F. — God  commanded  Moses  to  take  a  pot,  and  fill  it  with  manna, 
and  lay  it  up  for  a  witness  to  coming  generations,  that  they  might 
learn  the  goodness  of  God,  and  never  distrust  his  providential  care. 

S. — The  people  were  now  encamped  in  the  Wilderness  of  Sin. 
Where  were  they  next  led  ? 

F. — From  the  Wilderness  of  Sin,  they  pursued  their  journey  east- 
ward,— stopping  first  at  Dophkah,  and  then  at  Alush,  and  then  at 
Rephidim,  near  to  Mount  Sinai.  At  this  latter  place,  they  were  in 
distress  for  water,  and  began  to  murmur  and  complain.  And  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses  to  gather  the  people  unto  the  rock  Horeb, 
and  in  their  presence  to  smite  the  rock  with  his  rod.  He  did  so  ; 
and  water  in  abundance  poured  forth  from  the  smitten  rock,  and 
the  wants  of  the  congregation  were  supplied. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  207 

S. — While  the  people  were  stopping  at  Rephidim,  we  are  told 
that  the  Amalekites  came  upon  them  Avitli  an  army  and  fought 
against  them.     Who  were  these  Amalekites  ? 

F. — They  were  a  wandering  tribe  who  lived  in  the  deserts,  sub- 
sisting, like  the  Bedouins  of  our  day,  in  part,  by  plunder.  They 
had  watched  the  movements  of  this  great  company  just  coming  out 
of  Egypt,  and  hoped  that  they  might  be  an  easy  prey.  But  Moses 
directed  Joshua, — of  Avhom  we  now  hear  for  the  first  time,  and  who 
was,  by  common  consent,  generalissimo  of  the  armies  of  Israel, — to 
collect  an  army,  and  go  out  and  fight  against  the  Amalekites,  while 
he  stood  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  with  the  rod  of  God  in  his  hand.  And 
Joshua  did  as  he  was  commanded.  Meanwhile,  Moses  was  in  his 
position  on  the  hill,  to  pray  for  the  success  of  his  people.  And  so 
it  was  that  when  Moses  lifted  up  his  hands,  Israel  prevailed  ;  but 
when  he  let  down  his  hands,  Amalek  prevailed.  And  lest  the 
hands  of  Moses  should  be  weary,  Aaron  and  Hur  stood  on  either 
side  of  him,  and  stayed  them  up.*  And  Amalek  was  beaten,  and 
driven  back  before  the  armies  of  Israel.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  Lord  pronounced  a  curse  upon  Amalek,  declaring  that  he  should 
be  cut  off  from  being  a  people, — which  curse  was  terribly  executed 
in  the  days  of  Saul  (See  1  Sam.  xv). 

S. — We  read  of  another  event  of  interest  which  occurred  at  Re- 
phidim.    What  was  it  ? 

F. — Jethro,  the  father-in-law  of  Moses,  who  resided  not  far  from 
this  place,  came  unto  him,  bringing  his  Avife  and  children.  And 
Moses  went  out  to  meet  his  father-in-law,  and  did  obeisance  to  him, 
and  took  him  to  his  tent.  And  he  told  him  of  all  that  the  Lord 
had  done  unto  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptians,  of  the  wonderful  deliver- 
ance of  his  people,  and  what  had  befallen  them  by  the  way.  And 
Jethro  rejoiced  and  said,  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  who  hath  delivered 
you  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians.  Now  I  know  that  the  Lord 
is  greater  than  all  gods  ;  for  wherein  the  Egyptians  dealt  proudly, 

*Hnr  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  husband  of  Miriam,  and  brother  in-law  to  Moses  and 
Aaron. 


208  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

he  was  above  them."  And  Jethro  offered  sacrifices  and  a  burnt 
offering  unto  the  God  of  Israel,  and  all  the  elders  of  Israel  came, 
and  feasted  with  him  upon  the  sacrifice.  We  are  glad  to  record 
these  things  of  pious  Jethro,  who  was  not  only  a  wise  and  faithful 
man,  but  a  sincere  worshiper  of  the  true  God  ;  thus  showing  that 
true  religion  was  not  yet  wholly  obliterated  in  the  nations  that 
were  not  in  visible  covenant  with  Jehovah. 

S. — What  good  advice  did  Jethro  give  to  Moses  before  he  left 
him? 

F. — Observing  that  Moses  was  constantly  occupied,  from  morning 
till  evening,  in  hearing  and  deciding  cases  which  came  up  among 
the  people,  he  advised  that  a  series  of  courts  should  be  established, 
and  that  only  the  greater  and  more  difficult  questions  should  be 
brought  unto  Moses.  "  Choose  you  out  of  all  the  people  able  men, 
such  as  fear  God  and  hate  covetousness,  and  place  them  over  the 
people,  to  be  rulers  of  thousands,  and  rulers  of  hundreds,  and  rulers 
of  fifties,  and  rulers  of  tens  ;  and  let  them  judge  the  people  at  all 
seasons  ;  and  it  shall  be  that  every  great  matter  they  shall  bring 
unto  thee,  but  every  small  matter  they  shall  decide."  This  advice, 
so  obviously  reasonable,  was  accepted  of  Moses  and  of  God ;  and  the 
inferior  courts  which  had  been  recommended  were  established. 
The  object  of  Jethro's  visit  having  been  accomplished,  he  returned 
to  his  own  land. 

*S'. — On  leaving  Rephidim,  where  did  the  Israelites  next  pitch 
their  tents  ? 

F. — On  an  extended  plain,  directly  at  the  foot  of  the  ancient 
Sinai.  Dr.  Robinson  speaks  of  it  as  a  place  admirably  adapted  to 
the  use  of  the  Israelites.  The  names  Horeb  and  Sinai  are  used 
interchangeably  in  the  Scriptures.  The  probability  is  that  one  of 
these  names — perhaps  Horeb — was  given  to  this  whole  cluster  of 
mountains,  while  Sinai  denoted  a  single  peak. 

We  leave  the  congregation  of  Israel  on  the  plain  in  front  of  Sinai, 
where  they  were  to  receive  their  law,  and  to  abide  for  some  con- 
siderable time. 


CONVERSATION  XXYI. 

ISRAEL  AT  MOUNT  SINAI.— The  seventy  elders  of  Israel.— Who  they  were.— God 
becomes  the  civil  head  of  tlie  nation. — Getting  ready  to  meet  God. — Danger  of  the 
Mount. — The  trumpet  sounded. — AVhat  it  was. — Wonderful  sights  and  sounds. — Majesty 
of  God. — Delivery  of  the  law. — Sprinkling  the  blood  of  the  covenant. — Solemn  cere- 
mony.— Seeing  God. — The  priesthood  appointed. — Receiving  the  ten  commandments. — 
The  golden  calf. — What  Moses  did. — Building  the  tabernacle. — Aaron's  two  sons  killed. 
— Organizing  an  army. 

Son. — Had  the  Israelites  any  organized  civil  government  previ- 
ous to  th^  giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai  ?     And  if  so,  what  was  it  ? 

Father. — The  most  ancient  Hebrew  government,  like  that  of  the 
surrounding  tribes,  was  patriai'clial.  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob 
governed  their  households,  with  an  authority  well-nigh  unlimited. 
The  twelve  sons  of  Jacob  ruled  their  respective  families  in  the 
same  way.  But  when  their  descendants  had  become  suflBciently 
numerous  to  form  large  tribes,  each  tribe  had  a  prince  or  ruler  of 
its  own,  called,  "the  head  of  the  house  of  his  father"  (Num.  i. 
4-16).  And  when  the  tribes  had  increased  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
require  a  more  thorough  supervision,  they  were  divided  into  sec- 
tions or  clans,  each  of  which  was  subject  to  a  head  or  chief.  These 
subordinate  chiefs,  of  which  there  were  fifty-eight,  together  with 
the  heads  of  the  tribes, — of  which  there  were  twelve, — constituted 
the  seventy  elders  of  Israel  (Ex.  xxiv.  1). 

In  addition  to  these,  there  was  a  learned  class,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  act  as  readers  and  scribes,  and  to  keep  the  genealogies  of  the 
people.  They  are  called  officers,  in  the  fifth  chapter  of  Exodus. 
Of  the  appointment  of  judges,  at  the  suggestion  of  Jethro,  we  have 
just  heard.  These  were  distributed  through  all  the  families  and 
tribes  of  Israel,  and  brought  the  speedy  administration  of  justice  to 
every  man's  door. 

*S'. — Did  Moses  attempt  to  disturb  that  order  of  things  which 
existed  before  his  time  ? 

F. — He  did  not.     Other  institutions  were  ingrafted  upon  it,  and 


210  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

connected  with  it ;  but  the  order  itself  was  continued  down  to  the 
end  of  the  Jewish  commonwealth. 

S. — What  was  the  theocracy  said  to  have  been  established  at  the 
foot  of  Sinai  ? 

F. — It  was  God's  civil  government  over  the  nation  of  Israel. 
He  was  their  sovereign  Creator  and  Disposer  already, — as  he  is  of 
all  creatures, — and  had  a  right  to  do  Mdth  them  as  he  pleased.  He 
was  also  their  covenant  God ;  and  they  were,  in  a  peculiar  sense,  his 
covenant  people — his  church.  But  God  now  proposes  to  become 
their  civil  head ;  to  give  them  a  code  of  laws ;  to  set  up  a  civil 
government  over  them;  to  be, — as  Isaiah  expresses  it, — "their 
Judge,  their  Lawgiver,  and  their  King"  (Chap,  xxiii.  32).  And  he 
proposes  that  this  shall  be  done  with  their  oum  consent.  Accord- 
ingly he  summons  Moses  to  meet  him  in  the  mount,  and,  through 
him,  makes  the  proposition  to  the  children  of  Israel.  To  this  the 
people  answered,  with  one  accord,  '■'-All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
u'ill  we  do,  and  be  obedient.'''' 

S. — Please  tell  us  what  was  done  to  prepare  the  people  for  a 
solemn  interview  with  their  King? 

F^ — Moses  says  to  them,  "  Be  ready  against  the  third  day ;  for 
on  the  third  day,  the  Lord  will  come  down,  in  the  sight  of  all  the 
people,  upon  mount  Sinai.  And  beware,  lest  ye  come  near  the 
mount  to  touch  it ;  for  whosoever  toucheth  it  shall  surely  die." 

S. — What  took  place  on  the  third  day  ? 

F. — On  the  morning  of  that  day,  there  were  thunders  and  light- 
nings, and  a  thick  cloud  npon  the  mount,  and  the  voice  of  the 
trumpet  exceeding  loud,*  so  that  all  the  people  that  were  in  the 
camp  trembled.  And  Mount  Sinai  was  altogether  in  a  smoke, 
because  the  Lord  descended  upon  it  in  fire. 

S. — What  more  did  God  say  and  do  on  this  awful  occasion  ? 

F. — When  God  had  made  this  exhibition  of  himself  with  a  view  to 
impress  the  people  with  a  holy  awe,  he  proceeded  to  thunder  forth,  in 


*Not  any  trumpet  made  with  human  hands.     It  was  the  voice  of  tlie  arcliangel  and  the 
trump  of  God. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  213 

an  audible  voice,  from  the  top  of  the  mount,  the  ten  commandments. 
And  when  the  people  heard  the  thunderings,  and  the  voice  of  the 
trumpet,  and  saw  the  lightnings  and  the  mountain  quaking,  they  re- 
moved and  stood  afar  off.  And  they  said  unto  Moses,  "  Speak  thou 
with  us,  and  we  will  hear ;  but  let  not  God  speak  with  us,  lest  we  die." 

Following  this,  the  Lord  proceeded  to  give  to  the  people,  through 
Moses,  a  variety  of  laws,  some  relating  to  his  worship,  but  more 
relating  to  their  own  social  and  civil  affairs.  He  also  promises  to 
send  his  Angel  before  them,  to  keep  them  in  the  way,  and  bring 
them  into  the  promised  land ;  but  they  must  consent  to  obey  and 
follow  him,  and  cautiously  avoid  all  connection  with  the  surrounding 
idolatries.  When  Moses  brought  this  message  to  the  people,  they 
again  answered  with  one  accord,  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath  said  will 
we  do,  and  be  obedient." 

S. — A  solemn  compact  or  covenant  had  now  been  entered  into 
between  God  and  this  people,  and  how  was  it  confirmed  ? 

F. — After  the  usual  patriarchal  manner,  by  sacrifice,  Moses 
builded  an  altar  under  the  hill,  having  twelve  pillars,  according  to  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel ;  and  he  deputed  young  men  to  officiate  as 
priests, — for  the  Levitical  priesthood  was  not  yet  established, — who 
offered  burnt  offerings  and  peace  offerings  unto  the  Lord.  And 
Moses  put  half  of  the  blood  in  basins,  and  the  other  half  he  sprinkled 
upon  the  altar.  He  also  took  the  book  of  the  covenant,  which  he 
had  written  out,  and  read  it  aloud  in  the  hearing  of  the  people ;  and 
the  people  answered  again,  in  the  most  solemn  manner  over  the 
sacrifice  :  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath  commanded  we  will  do,  and  be 
obedient."  Then  Moses  took  the  blood  in  the  basins,  and  sprinkled 
it  on  the  people  saying,  "  This  is  the  blood  of  the  covenant  which 
the  Lord  hath  made  with  you."  Thus  was  the  compact  or  cove- 
nant between  God  and  the  nation  of  Israel  most  solemnly  ratified. 
They  had  chosen  the  Lord  to  be  their  king,  had  put  themselves 
under  his  direction,  and  promised  obedience  ;  and  he  had  consented 
to  be  their  Ruler,  to  go  before  them  into  the  promised  land  and  to 
order  all  their  affairs  in  wisdom  and  frooduess. 


214  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — What  followed  this  solemn  transaction  ? 

j?\ — God  was  now  pleased  to  admit  the  representatives  of  his 
people  to  a  nearer  vision  of  himself.  He  invited  Moses  and  Aaron, 
with  his  two  sons,  and  the  seventy  elders  of  Israel  to  come  up 
higher  into  the  mount,  where  it  is  said,  "they  saw  the  God  of 
Israel  "  (Ex.  xxiv.  10).  They  saw,  I  suppose,  no  distinct  similitude, 
but  a  dazzling  brightness  underneath  which  was  a  paved  work  as  of 
sapphire,  like  unto  the  body  of  heaven  in  its  clearness, 

Moses  was  now  called  to  a  longer  waiting  upon  God  in  the 
mount ;  and  so,  leaving  the  charge  of  the  peop4e  with  Aaron  and 
Hur,  and  taking  with  him  only  his  lieutenant,  Joshua,  he  went  up 
high  into  the  mount  of  God  ;  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  covered  the 
mount.  And  having  waited  seven  days,  he  heard  the  voice  of  the 
Lord  calling  him  to  come  up  higher ;  and  he  went  up  alone  into 
the  midst  of  the  cloud,  and  was  there  with  God  forty  days  and 
nights.  In  this  time,  God  gave  him  minute  instructions  respect- 
ing the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion, with  all  its  appurtenances  and  furniture.  He  directed  him 
to  set  apart  Aaron  and  his  sons  to  the  service  of  the  priesthood. 
He  appointed  two  learned  Israelites — Bezaleel  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  and  Aholiab  of  the  tribe  of  Dan — to  oversee  the  building 
of  the  tabernacle ;  and  he  gave  to  Moses  two  tables  of  stone,  on 
which  were  inscribed  with  his  own  finger  the  law  of  the  ten  com- 
mandments. 

S. — How  were  the  people  affected  during  the  long  absence  of 
Moses? 

F. — They  became  impatient.  They  did  not  know  what  had  be- 
come of  their  leader.  They  affected  to  fear  least  he  had  perished  in 
the  mountain.  At  any  rate,  they  wished  to  be  gone  ;  and  so  they 
went  to  Aaron,  and  told  him  to  make  them  gods  which  should  go 
before  them.  And  Aaron,  either  from  fear,  or  from  some  worse 
motive, — told  them  to  break  off  their  golden  ear-rings  and  jewels, 
and  bring  them  unto  him  ;  and  he  took  their  jewels,  and  melted 
them  in  a  furnace,  and  wrought  for  them  a  golden  calf.     And  they 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE,  215 

worshiped  before  it  and  said,  "  Tliese  be  thy  gods,  O  Israel,  which 
brought  thee  up  out  of  tlie  hind  of  Egypt." 

S. — How  is  this  strange  transaction  to  be  accounted  for  ? 

F. — It  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  supposition  that  the 
people,  during  their  long  residence  in  Egypt,  had  become  fearfully 
contaminated  with  its  idolatries.  Hence  their  desire  to  have  an 
image  in  shape  like  a  calf,  which  was  one  of  the  idols  of  Egypt. 
Various  suppositions  have  been  made  to  exculpate  Aaron,  Ijut  I 
think  without  success.  If  he  did  not  go  heartily  into  the  measure 
he  was  afraid  to  oppose  it.  He  assisted  in  collecting  the  materials 
and  in  casting  the  image  ;  and  when  it  was  finished,  he  built  an 
altar  before  it,  and  proclaimed  a  feast ;  and  the  people  sat  down  to 
eat  and  to  drink  and  rose  up  to  play. 

S. — What  did  God  say  to  INIoses,  who  was  now  with  him  in  the 
mount  ? 

F. — He  said,  "  Go,  get  thee  down  ;  for  thy  people  have  corrupted 
themselves.  They  have  turned  aside  quickly  out  of  the  way  which 
I  commanded  them.  They  have  made  them  a  molten  calf,  and 
worshij)ed  it,  and  offered  sacrifice  before  it.  Now,  therefore,  let 
me  alone,  that  my  wrath  may  wax  hot  against  them,  and  that  I 
may  consume  them  ;  and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great  nation."  But 
Moses,  though  shocked  and  confounded,  as  he  must  have  been,  in- 
terceded most  earnestly  and  successfully  for  his  guilty  people.  He 
pleaded  God's  promises  to  Abraham,  to  Isaac  and  to  Jacob.  He 
pleaded,  especially,  the  honor  of  the  Divine  character  and  name. 
Wherefore  should  the  Egyptians  say,  "  For  mischief  did  he  bring 
forth  the  children  of  Israel,  to  stay  them  in  the  mountains,  and  to 
consume  them  from  the  face  of  the  earth !  " 

S. — Did  this  earnest  intercession  prevail  with  God? 

F. — It  did.     Moses  was  heard,  and  the  Lord's  anger  was  stayed. 

He  went  quickly  down  out  of  the  mount,  with  the  two  tables  of 

stone  in  his  hand.     And  when  he  drew  near  to  the  camp,  and  saw  the 

calf,  and  the  people  singing  and  dancing  around  it,  he  was  so  fired 

with  holy  indignation  that  he  threw  down  the  tables  of  stone,  and 
u 


216  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

broke  them  in  pieces.  He  then  seized  the  molten  calf,  and  cast  it 
into  the  fire.  He  ground  it  to  powder,  dissolved  it  in  some  chemical 
fluid  prepared  for  the  purpose,  and  made  its  worshipers  drink  of  it. 
He  next  called  Aaron  to  an  account  for  what  he  had  done.  Aaron 
pleaded  his  fear  of  the  people,  and  his  inability  to  resist  their  wishes, 
but  not,  probably,  in  a  manner  to  satisfy  his  brother.  Moses  now 
proclaimed,  in  the  gate  of  the  camp,  "  Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side  ? 
Let  all  such  come  together  unto  me."  And  the  children  of  Levi, — 
of  which  tribe  were  Moses  and  Aaron, — came  promptly  forward  at 
the  command  of  their  great  leader.  At  the  command  of  Moses, 
they  took  every  man  his  sword,  and  went  through  the  camp,  slaying 
all  those,  without  distinction,  who  had  taken  a  leading  part  in  this 
revolt  from  God  ;  and  there  fell,  that  day,  about  three  thousand  men. 

S. — What  did  Moses  now  say  to  the  people  ? 

F. — He  told  them  that  they  had  committed  a  great  sin.  Never- 
theless, said  he,  "  I  will  go  up  again  unto  the  Lord.  Peradventure, 
I  may  make  an  atonement  for  your  sin."  And  Moses  returned 
unto  the  Lord  in  the  mount,  and  said,  "Oh!  this  people  have  sinned 
a  great  sin.  Yet  noAV,  if  thou  wilt,  forgive  their  sin  ;  but  if  not, 
blot  me,  I  pray  thee,  out  of  the  book  that  thou  hast  written."  And 
the  Lord  said,  "  Whosoever  hath  sinned  against  me,  him  will  I 
blot  out  of  my  book.  Go  thou  and  lead  this  people  unto  the  place 
of  which  I  have  spoken.  I  will  not  go  up,  as  before,  in  the  midst 
of  them ;  but  my  Angel  shall  go  up  before  thee,  and  bring  thee  into 
the  land  which  I  promised  to  thy  fathers." 

^S*. — What  could  Moses  have  meant,  when  he  praj^ed,  on  certain 
conditions,  to  be  blotted  from  God's  book  ? 

F. — The  sense  is  quite  evident,  I  think,  from  the  connection. 
God  had  said,  "  Let  me  alone,  that  I  may  consume  this  wicked 
people  in  a  moment ;  and  I  will  spare  thee,  and  make  of  thee 
a  great  nation."  But  Moses  says,  "  iVb,  no ;  I  cannot  consent 
to  such  a  proposition.  If  thou  art  determined  to  destroy  this 
people,  then  destroy  me  with  them.  I  would  not  be  spared  to 
see  their  ruin."     Such,  as  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  purport  of  the  good 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  217 

man's  prayer, — evincing  the  inextinguishable  love  and  kindness  of 
his  heart. 

*S'. — In  consequence  of  what  God  said,  that  henceforward  he  would 
go  before  his  people,  and  not  in  the  midst  of  them,  what  did  Moses  do  ? 

F. — He  took  one  of  the  tents  or  tabernacles  (for  the  great  public 
tabernacle  was  not  yet  built)  and  pitched  it  without  the  camp,  at  a 
little  distance  from  it,  and  called  it  the  tabernacle  of  the  congrega- 
tion. And  the  cloudy  pillar  stood  above  it,  and  when  Moses 
entered  into  the  tabernacle,  the  pillar  descended  and  stood  at  the 
door.  And  when  the  people  saw  it,  they  stood  up  and  worshiped, 
every  one  in  his  tent  door. 

S. — What  direction  did  God  give  to  INIoses,  preparatory  to  his 
going  a  second  time  into  the  mount  ? 

F. — "  Hew  thee  two  tables  of  stone,  like  unto  the  first,  and  I  will 
write  upon  them  the  words  that  were  on  the  first  tables  which  thou 
didst  break ;  and  be  ready  in  the  morning,  and  come  up  to  me  in 
the  top  of  Sinai."  And  Moses  prepared  the  tables,  and  went  up 
with  them  into  the  mount ;  and  the  Lord  met  him  there,  and  pro- 
claimed his  name  and  his  attributes  thus :  "  The  Lord,  the  Lord 
God ;  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  abundant  in  goodness 
and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  trans- 
gression and  sin,  and  that  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty."  And 
when  ]Moses  heard  these  words,  he  made  haste  and  bowed  himself 
to  the  earth  and  worshiped.  Again  he  interceded  for  his  guilty 
people ;  and  God  promised,  on  condition  of  future  obedience,  that  he 
would  still  go  with  them.  He  wrote  the  ten  commandments  on  the 
tables  which  Moses  had  brought,  and  dismissed  him  to  go  down  to 
the  congregation,  when  he  had  remained,  in  communion  with  God, 
another  forty  days.  And  when  Moses  came  down  to  the  people,  his 
face  shone  with  a  heavenly  luster,  so  that  his  friends  were  afraid  to 
approach  him.  He  was  constrained  to  put  a  veil  on  his  face,  except 
when  he  went  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  Lord. 

S. — On  his  return  to  the  people,  what  great  work  did  Moses 
undertake  ? 


218  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  commenced  taking  up  collections  for  the  building  of  the 
tabernacle.  And  so  abundant  was  the  liberality  of  the  people,  that 
a  sufficient  sum  was  soon  furnished,  and  placed  in  the  hands  of 
those  who  did  the  work.  The  contributions  at  this  time,  in  silver 
and  gold,  are  supposed  to  have  amounted  to  more  than  a  million  of 
dollars — a  prodigious  sum  to  be  contributed  by  these  fugitives 
from  bondage, — proving  also  that  their  numbers  must  have  been  as 
great  as  Moses  represents.  While  the  tabernacle  was  building,  the 
holy  garments  for  the  priests,  and  the  breast-plate  of  diamonds  and 
cunning  work  were  got  in  readiness ;  and  on  the  first  day  of  the 
first  month, — a  year  lacking  fourteen  days  from  the  time  that  the 
Israelites  came  out  of  Egj'pt, — the  tabernacle  was  put  up  and  con- 
secrated, and  Aaron  and  his  sons  were  set  apart  and  attired  for  the 
holy  priesthood.  The  ark  or  chest  containing  the  two  tables  of 
stone  Avas  deposited  behind  the  veil  in  the  most  holy  place,  where  it 
could  be  approached  only  by  the  high  priest,  and  by  him  only  once 
in  a  year.  And  when  all  had  been  finished,  according  to  the  com- 
mandment, Moses  blessed  the  congregation ;  and  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  so  filled  the  tabernacle,  that  Moses  for  a  time  was  not  able  to 
enter  it.  And  here  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  abode  all  the  while 
that  the  children  of  Israel  were  in  the  wilderness.  When  it  was 
taken  up,  they  journeyed  after  it,  and  when  it  was  let  down  they 
rested,  until  they  came  to  the  promised  land. 

S. — When  did  the  work  of  the  priests  commence  in  the  new 
tabernacle  ? 

F. — On  the  eighth  da}'  of  the  first  month,  the  offerings  were 
made.  At  the  close  of  the  service,  Moses  and  Aaron  blessed  the 
people  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  was 
most  illustriously  manifested.  A  fire  came  forth  from  the  Lord, 
and  consumed  the  burnt  offering  and  the  fat ;  which  when  the 
people  saw,  they  shouted  and  worshiped  the  Lord  with  their  faces 
to  the  earth. 

S. — In  what  way  was  the  joy  of  the  occasion  interrupted  ? 

F. — Nadab  and  Abihu,  the  two  eldest  of  Aaron's  sons, — being 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  219 

unduly  elated  with  the  honors  of  the  priesthood,  and  perhaps  flushed 
with  wine,  undertook  to  offer  incense  at  a  time,  and  in  a  manner, 
not  appointed  by  the  Lord.  They  took  their  censers  and  incense, 
and  instead  of  taking  fire  from  the  altar,  they  put  on  common  fire, 
and  offered  it  up  before  the  Lord.  The  consequence  was,  that  fire 
came  forth  from  the  Lord,  and  killed  them  in  an  instant.  Of  course, 
Moses  and  Aaron,  and  all  concerned  about  the  tabernacle,  were 
terrified  and  shocked.  But  Moses  reminded  his  distressed  brother 
of  one  of  the  important  sayings  of  God :  "  I  will  be  sanctified  in 
them  that  come  nigh  me,  and  before  all  the  people  will  I  be  glori- 
fied;" and  Aaron  held  his  peace.  The  bodies  of  the  deceased 
young  men  were  immediately  removed,  and  the  services  of  the  day 
were  not  allowed  to  be  interrupted.  This  injunction,  however,  was 
given  in  respect  to  the  priests :  "  Drink  no  wine,  neither  strong 
drink,  when  ye  go  into  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  lest  ye 
die.     This  shall  be  a  statute  forever  throughout  your  generations." 

S. — When  did  the  Israelites  keep  their  second  Passover  ? 

F. — They  kept  it  on  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month — ^just 
.one  year  from  the  time  of  their  departure  out  of  Egypt.  And  this 
seems  to  have  been  their  last  Passover,  until  they  had  crossed  the 
Jordan,  and  entered  the  land  of  Canaan.  The  difficulty  of  procur- 
ing, in  the  desert,  fine  flour  for  the  unleavened  bread  may  have  been 
a  reason  why  the  Passover  was  for  so  many  years  intermitted. 

*S'. — What  important  event  took  place  shortly  after  the  Passover  ? 

F. — On  the  first  day  of  the  second  month  a  command  was  issued 
that  the  men  of  w^ar  in  the  congregation  should  be  numbered ;  and 
the  number  of  them  (excluding  the  Levites)  was  found  to  be 
603,550. 

*S'. — After  the  enrolling  of  the  men  of  war,  how  -were  they 
marshaled? 

F. — They  were  divided  into  four  battalions,  and  formed  into  a 
hollow  square.  In  the  center  of  the  square,  was  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation,  surrounded  by  the  priests,  and  these  surrounded 
by  the  tents  of  the  Levites.     On  the  east  side  of  the  square,  which 


220  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

was  the  front,  were  the  tents  of  Judah,  Issachar,  and  Zebulun ;  on 
the  south  side  were  the  tents  of  Reuben,  Simeon,  and  Gad ;  on  the 
west  side  were  the  tents  of  Ephraim,  Manassah,  and  Benjamin  ;  and 
on  the  north  side  were  the  tents  of  Dan,  Naphtali,  and  Asher. 
Such  was  the  order  of  the  Israelites'  encampment,  and  such  the 
metliod  of  their  march, — not  in  disorder  and  confusion,  but  as  a 
regularly  drilled  and  disciplined  body.  When  the  pillar  of  cloud 
was  taken  up  from  the  tabernacle,  the  trumpet  was  sounded.  Then 
the  standard  of  Judah  was  raised,  and  the  three  tribes  which 
belonged  to  it  set  forward.  Next,  the  standard  of  Reuben's  camp 
was  raised,  and  the  three  tribes  in  its  connection  advanced.  Then 
followed,  in  like  manner,  the  standards  of  Ephraim  and  of  Dan, 
with  the  connected  tribes.  Meanwhile,  the  Levites  had  taken 
down  the  tabernacle,  and  with  a  part  of  it  loaded  on  wagons,  and  a 
part  carried  on  their  shoulders  or  in  their  hands,  were  marching  in 
the  center.  Shortly  after  this  enrolling  and  marshaling  of  the  host, 
the  cloud  was  lifted  up  from  the  tabernacle,  the  trumpet  sounded, 
and  the  people  were  summoned  to  depart  from  the  foot  of  Sinai, 
where  they  had  rested  about  a  year. 


CONVERSATION  XXVII. 

THE  ISRAELITES  AT  KADESIL— Leaving  Sinai.— Dissatisfaction.— A  supply  of 
meat  provided. — Aaron's  jealousy  of  Moses. — His  Etliiopian  wife. — The  sister  of  Moses 
smitten  with  leprosy. — Spies  sent  into  Canaan. — Their  report  and  its  results. — Instant 
deatli  of  the  spies. — The  command  to  go  back  into  the  wilderness. — An  insurrection. — 
Awful  destruction  of  tiie  insurgents. — Budding  of  Aaron's  rod. — Its  testimony. 

Son. — On  leaving  Sinai,  in  what  direction  did  tlie  Israelites 
travel  ? 

Father. — They  went  a  three  days'  journey,  in  a  north-easterly 
direction,  unto  Taberah;  but  the  people  grew  weary,  began  to 
complain,  and  some  of  them  loitered  in  their  march.  Wherefore 
a  fire  from  the  Lord  broke  out  upon  them,  and  consumed  many 
who  were  in  the  rear  of  the  camp.  But  Moses  prayed  for  them, 
and  the  fire  was  quenched. 

S. — Shortly  after  this,  the  people  were  again  dissatisfied,  and 
begun  to  cry  for  flesh.  "  We  remember  the  fish  which  we  did  eat 
in  Egypt,  the  cucumbers  and  melons,  the  leeks  and  onions.  But 
now  our  soul  is  dried  up.  There  is  nothing  at  all  but  this  manna, 
and  our  soul  loatheth  this  light  bread."  What  did  Moses  do,  when 
he  heard  these  murmurings  ? 

F. — He  went  as  usual  to  the  Lord,  and  asked  his  help,  and  the 
Lord  answered  him  :  "■  Go  tell  this  people,  to-morrow  ye  shall  have 
flesh.  Ye  shall  eat  it,  not  one  day,  nor  two,  nor  twenty,  but  a 
whole  month,  until  ye  are  satisfied  and  glutted  with  it." 

S. — Was  this  strange  promise  fulfilled  ? 

F. — It  was.  There  arose  a  wind  from  the  sea,  and  brought  up 
an  immense  quantity  of  quails,  such  as  they  had  met  with  once 
before,  and  they  fell  around  the  camp  a  day's  journey  on  either 
side  ;  and  the  people  gathered  them  till  they  were  more  than  satis- 
fied. But  while  they  were  feasting  and  rioting  upon  them,  the 
Lord  smote  them  with  a  malignant  disease, — perhaps  the  natural 
effect  of  over-eating, — and  many  of  them  died. 

S. — Where  do  we  next  find  the  congregation  of  Israel  ? 


222  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — At  Hazeroth,  where  tliej  rested  several  days.  It  was  here 
that  Miriam  and  Aaron  gave  vent  to  their  envy  against  Moses — a 
spirit  which  they  had  indulged,  perhaps,  ever  after  the  affair  of  the 
golden  calf.  They  reproached  him  on  account  of  what  they  were 
pleased  to  call  his  Ethiopian  wife.  They  said  also,  "  Hath  the 
Lord  spoken  only  by  Moses  ?  Hath  he  not  spoken  also  by  us  ?  " 
These  murmurings  may  have  been  uttered  privately ;  but  the  Lord 
heard  them,  and  summoned  the  parties  to  meet  him  at  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle.  He  cleared  and  commended  Moses,  but  sharply 
reproved  JNIiriam  and  Aaron  ;  and  to  punish  the  former,  who  seems 
to  have  been  the  chief  instigator,  lie  smote  her  at  once  with  leprosy. 
And  when  Aaron  looked  upon  his  sister,  behold  she  was  a  leper, 
as  white  as  snow.  And  Aaron  said  unto  Moses,  "  Alas  !  my  brother, 
I  beseech  thee  lay  not  this  sin  upon  us.  Let  not  our  sister  become 
to  us  as  one  dead.  And  Moses  cried  unto  the  Lord,  and  Miriam's 
leprosy  was  healed.  Nevertheless,  she  was  shut  out  of  the  camp, 
as  one  unclean,  seven  days. 

S. — Where  did  this  great  multitude  next  encamp? 

F. — On  leaving  Hazeroth,  they  pursued  a  north-easterly  course, 
and,  after  one  or  two  stops,  arrived  at  Kadesh,  in  the  wilderness  of 
Paran.  They  were  now  on  the  southern  border  of  Canaan,  the 
promised  land — the  place  whence  Moses  had  expected  all  along  to 
enter  it.  From  this  place  he  sent  spies — one  from  each  tribe,  to  go 
up  into  the  land  of  Canaan,  search  it  out,  and  bring  back  a  report 
unto  the  people.  So  the  spies  went  up  into  the  southerly  part  of 
Canaan,  traversed  it  in  various  directions,  and,  after  forty  days, 
returned  to  the  camp  of  Israel,  bringing  with  them  some  of  the 
fruits  of  the  land. 

S. — What  report  did  they  bring  of  their  exploration  ? 

F. — All,  with  the  exception  of  two,  brought  back  a  discouraging 
report.  "  It  is  a  good  country,  but  the  people  be  strong  that  dwell 
there.  The  cities  are  walled,  and  very  great.  We  saw  giants,  the 
sons  of  Anak  there.  We  are  not  able  to  go  up  against  this  people, 
for  they  are  stronger  than  we." 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  223 

S. — How  were  the  congregation  affected  by  this  report  of  the 
spies  ? 

F. — They  were  greatly  distressed,  and  began  immediately  to 
murmur  against  Moses,  and  against  God.  "  Wherefore  have  ye 
brought  us  to  this  land,  to  fall  by  the  sword,  and  that  our  wives 
and  our  little  ones  should  be  a  prey  ?  Let  us  make  a  captain,  and 
return  into  Egypt."  It  was  in  vain  that  Moses  and  Aaron  and 
Caleb  and  Joshua  endeavored  to  pacify  and  encourage  the  people. 
They  would  not  be  diverted  from  their  purpose,  and  were  ready  to 
stone  those  who  labored  to  withstand  them. 

S. — How  did  those  who  withstood  them  escape  ? 

F. — At  this  critical  moment,  the  Lord  interposed.  He  appeared 
in  his  glory  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and,  addressing  Moses, 
said :  "  How  long  shall  this  people  provoke  me  ?  How  long  ere  they 
will  believe  me,  after  all  the  signs  that  I  have  wrought  among 
them?  I  will  smite  them  with  pestilence,  and  utterly  disinherit 
them ;  and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  nation  greater  and  mightier  than 
they."  But  Moses  fell  down  and  interceded  for  his  guilty  people, 
as  he  had  done  once  before,  on  the  top  of  Sinai.  He  pleaded  espe- 
cially the  honor  and  glory  of  God  ;  that  the  honor  of  his  name  was 
concerned ;  that  if  he  destro3'ed  this  people  the  surrounding  nations 
would  hear  of  it,  and  would  say  :  "  Because  the  Lord  was  not  able 
to  bring  them  into  the  land  which  he  promised  to  their  fathers, 
therefore  hath  he  slain  them  in  the  wilderness.  Pardon  therefore, 
I  beseech  thee,  the  iniquity  of  thy  people,  according  to  the  greatness 
of  thy  mercy." 

^S'. — Did  the  Lord  hear  and  answer  this  pow^erful  intercession? 

F. — He  did  in  part.  He  said  to  Moses :  "  I  have  pardoned,  ac- 
cording to  thy  word  ;  but  truly  as  I  live,  all  the  earth  shall  be  filled 
with  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  And  as  for  these  men,  who  have  seen 
my  glory  and  my  miracles,  and  have  tempted  me  now  these  ten 
times,  and  have  not  hearkened  unto  my  voice,  surely  they  shall  not 
see  the  land  which  I  promised  to  their  fathers,  but  their  carcasses 
shall  fall   in    this   toilderness.     But  j'our    children,    which  ye  said 


224  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

should  be  a  prey,  them  will  I  bring  in,  and  they  shall  inherit  the 
land.  To-morrow  turn  ye,  and  get  you  again  into  the  wilderness 
by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea  and  wander  there  for  forty  years,  until 
the  entire  multitude  of  you  who  were  twenty  years  old  and  upward 
when  ye  came  out  of  Egypt  (with  the  exception  only  of  Caleb  and 
Joshua)  shall  have  perished  from  the  earth."  To  sanction  this 
terrible  denunciation,  God  smote  the  ten  spies,  who  brought  back 
an  evil  report  of  the  land,  with  instant  death. 

S. — What  was  the  effect  of  this  dreadful  denunciation  upon  the 
conffreo'ation  of  Israel  ? 

F. — They  were  stunned  and  confounded  by  it.  They  mourned 
greatly,  and  declared  themselves  willing  to  incur  any  danger,  if  they 
might  be  permitted  to  go  up  at  once,  and  take  possession  of  the 
promised  land.  So  earnest  were  they  in  this  matter,  that,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  warnings  of  Moses  and  the  command  of  God,  they 
equipped  themselves,  and  went  the  next  morning  to  fight  the 
Amalekites,  whose  hostile  bands  were  hovering  round  them.  But 
the  Lord  Avas  not  with  them  and  they  could  not  prosper.  They 
were  smitten  before  their  enemies,  who  pursued  them  even  unto 
Hormah. 

S. — What  other  painful  incidents  occurred,  while  the  Israelites 
were  at  Kadesh? 

F. — Here  occurred  the  formidable  insurrection  under  Korah, 
Dathan,  and  Abiram.  Korah  was  a  great-grandson  of  Levi ;  and 
other  Levites,  to  the  number  of  two  hundred  and  fifty,  were  con- 
federate with  him.  Dathan,  Abiram,  and  the  other  leading  insur- 
gents, were  of  the  tribe  of  Reuben.  The  complaint  of  the  Levites 
was,  that  Moses  and  Aaron  took  too  much  upon  them,  seeing  that 
all  the  congregation  were  holy,  and  that  God  was  in  the  midst  of 
them  all  alike.  To  test  this  matter,  Moses  told  them  to  take  their 
censers  on  the  morrow,  and  put  fire  in  them,  and  come  to  the  door  of 
the  tabernacle,  and  the  Lord  would  show  who  among  them  he  had 
chosen  to  be  his  priests. 

The  complaint  of  the  Reubenites  was  the  usual  one,  that  Moses 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  225 

and  Aaron  had  led  this  great  multitude  out  of  Egypt — a  land  of 
plenty,  into  the  wilderness  to  consume  them. 

On  the  morrow,  Korah  and  his  company  appeared  promptly  at 
the  tabernacle  with  their  censers  and  incense,  and  most  of  the  con- 
gregation seemed  to  be  with  them.  And  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
appeared  unto  all  the  congregation.  And  the  Lord  said  unto 
Moses,  ''Speak  unto  the  congregation  that  they  separate  them- 
selves from  the  tents  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram."  And  the 
people  did  so.  Then  Moses  said,  "  Hereby  shall  ye  know  that  the 
Lord  hath  sent  me  to  do  all  these  works.  If  these  men  die  the 
common  death  of  all  men,  or  if  they  visited  after  the  ordinary  visi- 
tation of  men,  then  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  me.  But  if  the  earth 
open  her  mouth,  and  swallow  them  up,  and  they  go  down  alive  into 
the  pit,  then  shall  ye  understand  that  these  men  have  provoked  the 
Lord."  Moses  had  scarcely  done  speaking,  when  the  ground  clave 
asunder  under  the  tents  of  these  wicked  men,  and  swallowed  them 
all  up ;  and  they  went  down  alive  into  the  pit,  with  all  that  per- 
tained to  them,  and  they  perished  from  among  the  congregation. 
At  the  same  time,  there  came  out  a  fire  from  the  Lord,  and  con- 
sumed the  two  hundred  and  fifty  Levites  who  came  with  Korah  to 
the  tabernacle  to  offer  incense. 

*S'. — It  would  seem  as  though  the  issue  of  this  rebellion  were 
enough  to  prevent  all  similar  attempts  in  future. 

F. — And  yet  it  did  not ;  for  on  the  very  next  day  the  conspiracy 
was  renewed.  A  portion  of  the  congregation  began  to  murmur 
against  Moses  and  Aaron,  saying :  "  Ye  have  killed  the  people  of 
the  Lord."  But  as  the  tumult  increased,  the  glory  of  the  Lord 
appeared  again  at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle,  and  a  voice  came  forth 
to  Moses  and  Aaron :  "  Get  you  up  from  among  this  people,  that  I 
may  consume  them  in  a  moment."  And  no  sooner  was  the  threat 
pronounced,  than  it  began  to  be  executed.  A  plague  broke  out  in 
the  congregation,  and  hundreds  were  dying  of  it.  In  this  dreadful 
emergency,  Aaron,  at  the  command  of  Moses,  seized  his  censer,  and 
put  fire  upon  it,  and  ran  into  the  midst  of  the  congregation  to  make 


226  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

atonement  for  the  people.  And  he  stood  between  the  dead  and  the 
livmg,  and  the  phague  was  stayed, — not,  however,  until  fourteen 
thousand  and  seven  hundred  of  the  rebellious  people  were  de- 
stroyed. Thus  early  did  God  begin  to  cut  off  the  adult  portion  of 
this  people,  and  fulfill  his  threat  that  they  should  not  enter  Canaan. 

S. — What  was  done  at  this  time  to  prevent  all  future  complaints 
respecting  the  priesthood  ? 

F. — Moses  proposed  a  test,  to  which  the  people  consented.  The 
elders  of  the  tribes  were  to  bring  each  an  almond  rod  to  the  taber- 
nacle, with  the  name  of  his  tribe  inscribed  upon  it.  Aaron  also  was 
to  bring  a  rod  for  the  tribe  of  Levi.  These  rods  W' ere  to  be  laid  up 
in  the  tabernacle  over  night ;  and  the  rod  which,  in  the  morning 
had  budded,  was  to  indicate  the  Lord's  pleasure  as  to  the  priest- 
hood. All  this  was  done  accordingly  ;  and  when  the  rods  were 
examined  in  the  morning,  it  was  found  that  Aaron's  rod  alone  had 
budded  ;  and  not  only  budded,  but  it  had  blossomed  and  bore  fruit. 
And  God  commanded  that  Aaron's  rod  should  be  laid  up  in  the 
tabernacle  for  a  witness,  to  put  an  end  to  the  murmurings  of  the 
people. 

The  Israelites  had  now  been  for  a  time  at  Kadesh,  and  had  passed 
through  some  of  the  most  exciting  and  awful  scenes.  They  were 
soon  to  leave  and  enter  upon  their  long  sojourn  in  the  desert.  We 
will  follow  them  in  our  next  conversation. 


CONVERSATION  XXVllI. 

THE  SOJOURN  IN  THE  DESERT.— Wandering  in  the  desert.— Their  occupation.— 
Providence  of  God. — Tlieir  second  encampment  at  Kadesh. — The  sister  of  Moses  dies. 
— Water  again  brought  from  the  rocli. — Moses  angered. — Its  results. — Death  of  Aaron. 
— Conquest  of  Canaan  begun. — The  fiery  serpents. — Entering  the  promised  land. — Tlie 
device  of  the  Moabites  and  Midiauites. — Balaam  slain. — Josiiua  chosen  leader. — Cities 
of  refuge. 

Son. — On  leaving  Kadesh,  in  what  direction  did  the  Israelites 


move 


? 


Father. — They  took  their  journey  backward  into  the  wilderness, 
as  the  Lord  had  directed;  and  in  this  wilderness  they  sojourned 
almost  thirty-eight  years — forty  years  from  the  time  of  their  leaving 
Egypt — until  nearly  all  the  adults  who  came  out  of  Egypt  were 
dead.  How  they  sj)ent  their  time  during  this  long  and  trjdng 
period,  we  are  not  particularly  informed.  In  Numbers,  chap,  xxxiii., 
we  have  the  names  of  sixteen  i^laces  which  they  successively  occu- 
pied. Probably  they  occupied  some  of  them  more  than  once.  It 
should  be  remembered  that  they  were  a  nomadic  people,  as  were 
their  fathers  before  them.  In  Egypt,  they  had  been  shepherds;  and 
now  that  they  had  come  out  into  the  desert  with  their  flocks  and 
herds,  they  probably  wandered  from  one  place  to  another,  where 
they  could  best  find  pasturage  and  water ;  for  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  northern  Arabia  is  not  all  sand  and  rock.  Many  places 
are  fertile  and  capable  of  sustaining,  as  they  always  have  done,  a 
large  population.  Meanwhile  the  covenant  God  of  the  Israelites 
took  the  best  possible  care  of  them.  Their  clothes  did  not  wax  old 
on  their  backs,  nor  their  shoes  on  their  feet ;  their  supply  of  bread 
was  continued  constantly,  day  by  day ;  and  their  flocks  would  yield 
them  milk  and  flesh.  We  hear  of  no  murmurings  or  rebellions 
during  this  long  period.  The  spirit  of  rebellion  was  effectually 
subdued  at  Kadesh,  and  the  old  half-heathenized,  Egyptianized  part 
of  the  congregation  was  passing  rapidl}^  away.  On  the  whole,  con- 
sidering the  previous  habits  and  customs  of  this  people,  and  their 


228  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

means  of  support  and  improvement,  we  may  hope  that  these  eight 
and  thirty  years  were  not  spent  unpleasantly  or  unprofitably.  It 
was  to  them  a  season  of  trial  and  discipline,  but  we  hope  not  one  of 
essential  discomfort. 

S. — Did  they  ever  return  to  Kadesh  ? 

F. — They  did.  At  the  beginning  of  the  thirty-ninth  year  after 
the  exode  from  Egypt,  we  find  the  Israelites  wending  their  way 
northward  in  the  direction  of  Canaan.  They  arrived  at  Kadesh  in 
the  first  month — the  place  of  their  encampment  so  many  years  be- 
fore. Here  Miriam,  the  sister  of  Moses,  died  and  was  buried. 
While  here,  the  supply  of  water  failed,  and  the  congregation  were 
distressed ;  so  they  began  to  murmur,  as  of  old,  against  Moses  and 
against  God.  And  the  Lord  said  to  Moses :  "  Take  ye  the  rod, 
and  go  out,  in  the  presence  of  the  assembly,  to  yonder  rock,  and 
smite  it,  and  it  shall  give  forth  water."  Moses  did  so.  He  assem- 
bled the  congregation  before  the  rock,  and  said  to  them,  with  a 
criminal  impatience  :  "  Hear  now,  ye  rebels ;  must  Ave  fetch  you 
water  out  of  the  rock  ?  "  And  Moses  smote  the  rock  twice,  and  the 
water  gushed  out  abundantly.  But  God  was  displeased  with  him 
for  the  spirit  he  had  manifested,  and  denied  him  the  privilege  of 
leading  his  people  into  Canaan.  He  might  go  to  the  top  of 
Pisgah,  and  see  it  with  his  eyes,  but  he  must  not  enter  it. 

S. — What  was  the  intention  of  Moses  in  coming  to  Kadesh  the 
second  time  ? 

F. — It  was  his  expectation,  undoubtedly,  to  enter  Canaan  from 
that  place  ;  but  he  found  all  the  passes  secured  b}^  the  Canaanites 
and  Amalekites,  with  whom  he  did  not  care  to  engage  in  war.  He 
next  presented  request  to  the  king  of  Edom  to  pass  easterly 
through  his  borders,  promising  to  injure  nothing,  and  to  j)ay  for  all 
that  he  received  ;  but  the  king  of  Edom  would  not  consent,  and 
threatened,  if  the  Israelites  entered  his  country,  to  give  them  battle. 
Hence  nothing  remained  to  the  great  leader  of  Israel,  but  to  turn 
southward,  compass  the  land  of  Edom,  and  go  up  into  Canaan  on 
its  eastern  border. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  229 

S. — What  took  place,  on  this  journey,  at  Moserah,  on  mount  Hor  ? 

F. — Here  Aaron  died  and  was  buried.  Being  forewarned  of  his 
death,  Moses  took  off  from  him  his  priestly  garments,  and  put  them 
upon  Eleazar  his  son.  He  then  went  up  with  him  into  the  mount- 
ain, where  the  venerable  priest  died.  And  all  Israel  mourned  for 
him  thirty  days. 

^S'. — What  occurred  durinor  this  season  of  mourninf::  ? 

F. — The  Israelites  were  suddenly  attacked  by  Arad,  a  king  in  the 
south  of  Canaan,  who  took  some  of  the  people  prisoners.  But  the 
Israelites  went  out  against  him,  discomfited  him,  and  destroyed  his 
cities.     This  was  the  beginning  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan. 

S. — The  Israelites  having  now  reached  the  southernmost  point  of 
their  journey,  what  course  did  they  pursue  ? 

F. — They  turned  northward,  skirting  the  eastern  borders  of 
Edom  and  Moab,  with  neither  of  which  nations  they  were  permitted 
to  go  to  war.  It  was  in  this  part  of  their  journey  that  the  Israel- 
ites were  bitten  by  fiery  flying  serpents,  and  miraculously  healed 
by  looking  at  the  brazen  serpent,  set  up  by  Moses  for  their  deliver- 
ance. On  their  way  northward,  they  passed  the  brook  Zered,  and 
the  river  Aman,  which  rise  in  the  eastern  mountains,  and  run  west- 
ward into  the  Dead  Sea.  These  are  said  to  have  been  the  first 
rivers  which  the  Israelites  had  seen,  after  leaving  the  Nile  in 
Egypt. 

S. — On  coming  to  the  country  of  the  Amorites,  what  did  Moses 
do? 

F. — He  sent  a  message  to  Sihon,  their  king,  asking  permission  to 
pass  through  his  land.  But  instead  of  giving  his  consent,  Sihon 
gathered  his  people  together,  and  came  out  to  fight  against  Israel. 
And  the  children  of  Israel  smote  him  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
took  his  cities  from  him,  and  dwelt  in  them.  They  also  took  Jazer, 
another  city  of  the  Amorites  ;  and  pushing  still  further  north,  they 
approached  Bashan,  where  Og,  the  giant,  held  his  reign.  This  mon- 
ster of  a  man  drew  out  his  army,  and  gave  battle  to  the  Israelites. 
But  the  armies  of  Israel  prevailed  against  him,  slew  Og  and  his 


230  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

sons,  and  all  his  people.  They  took  from  him  three-score  cities,  all 
fenced  with  high  walls,  gates,  and  bars. 

*S'. — After  this  victory,  what  course  did  the  Israelites  take  ? 

F. — They  fell  back  to  the  plains  of  Moab,  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Jordan,  opposite  Jericho.  And  here  the  journey ings  of  the  Israel- 
ites may  be  said  to  have  terminated.  From  this  point,  in  the  follow- 
ing spring,  they  crossed  the  Jordan,  and  entered  the  promised  land. 

S. — How  were  the  kings  of  Moab  and  Midian  affected  by  the 
near  approach  of  the  Israelites  to  them  ? 

F. — They  were  greatly  alarmed,  and,  not  daring  to  engage  them 
in  battle,  they  sent  messengers  to  Balaam,  a  celebrated  Chaldean 
diviner,  begging  that  he  would  come  and  curse  Israel  for  them. 
Balaam  took  counsel  of  God  on  the  subject ;  for,  heathen  as  he  was, 
he  had  some  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  was  favored,  at  times, 
with  divine  revelations.  But  God  would  not  suffer  him  to  go  and 
curse  Israel. 

*S'. — When  Balaam's  refusal  was  made  known  to  the  king  of 
Moab,  what  did  he  do  ? 

F. — He  sent  other  and  more  honorable  messengers,  with  a  promise 
of  still  richer  rewards.  Balaam  at  this  time  evidently  wished  to 
go  ;  for  "  he  loved  the  wages  of  unrighteousness."  Still,  he  must  go 
through  the  formality  of  again  asking  counsel  of  God.  And  God 
now  granted  him  permission.  He  did  as  much  as  to  say :  "  If  you 
want  to  go,  go ;  nevertheless,  what  I  shall  say  to  thee,  that  only 
shalt  thou  speak." 

So  Balaam  went  with  the  princes  of  Moab.  It  was  on  this  jour- 
ney that  the  angel  of  the  Lord  withstood  him  twice,  and  threatened 
to  destroy  him.  It  Avas  at  this  time  that  the  very  ass  on  which  he 
rode  reproved  him  with  a  man's  voice,  and  "forbade  the  madness  of 
the  prophet."  Still,  he  was  permitted  to  finish  his  journey ;  but 
under  a  strict  injunction  that  he  should  speak  that,  and  that  only, 
which  the  Lord  should  say. 

*S'. — Arrived  among  the  Moabites,  what  did  Balak  the  king  of 
IMoab,  do  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  231 

F. — He  took  the  seer  unto  liis  high  places,  where  he  might  have 
a  view  of  the  camp  of  Israel,  and,  in  repeated  instances  offered  up 
costly  sacrifices,  while  Balaam  went  aside  to  ask  counsel  of  God. 
But  in  every  instance,  God  turned  the  wished-for  curse  into  a  bless- 
ing. "How  shall  I  curse  those  whom  God  hath  not  cursed?  And 
how  shall  I  defy  those  whom  the  Lord  hath  not  defied  ?  Who  can 
count  the  dust  of  Jacob,  or  number  the  fourth  part  of  Israel? 
Behold  I  have  received  commandment  to  bless  Israel ;  and  he  is 
blessed,  and  I  cannot  reverse  it." 

S. — After  these  rich  and  repeated  blessings,  what  did  Balaam  do? 

F. — As  if  vexed  with  himself  for  not  being  permitted  to  curse 
Israel,  and  thus  get  the  promised  reward,  Balaam  resolved  to  do  as 
a  politician,  what  he  could  not  do  as  a  prophet.  He  counseled  the 
Moabites  and  Midianites  to  send  their  daughters  into  the  camp  of 
Israel,  to  debauch  the  young  men,  and  draw  them  into  idolatry ; 
not  doubting  that  this  would  be  the  most  likely  way  to  bring  down 
upon  them  the  curses  of  heaven,  and  this  artifice  succeeded  entirely. 
The  very  next  account  we  have  of  the  Israelites  is,  that  many  of 
them  had  been  drawn  away  by  these  outlandish  women,  not  only  to 
commit  fornication,  but  to  be  present  at  their  sacrifices,  and  wor- 
ship their  idol  gods. 

aS'. — And  what  was  done  to  these  impious  idolaters  ? 

F. — The  greatness  of  their  sin  appears  in  the  severity  of  the 
punishment  which  followed  it.  God  commanded  Moses  to  take  the 
leaders  of  those  who  had  been  concerned  in  this  wickedness,  and 
hang  them  up  before  the  Lord.  At  the  same  time,  a  plague  broke 
out  in  the  camp,  by  which  no  less  than  twenty-four  thousand  per- 
sons were  destroyed. 

aS*. — When  these  disorders  had  been  suppressed  and  the  offenders 
punished,  what  next  was  done  ? 

F. — The  next  thing  was  to  take  vengeance  on  the  Moabites  and 
Midianites,  who  had  corrupted  Israel  with  their  fornications  and 
idolatries.  So  Moses  detached  an  army  of  twelve  thousand  men — 
one  thousand  from  each  tribe — and  sent  them  against  their  enemies. 


232  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

And  they  vanquished  them  with  an  immense  slaughter,  and  took  from 
them  a  vast  amount  of  spoil,  in  flocks  and  herds,  silver  and  gold,  which 
was  divided  among  the  people.  In  this  war,  that  old  diviner  Balaam, 
who  essayed  to  curse  Israel,  but  could  not,  was  slain  (Num.  xxxi.  8). 

S. — What  other  things  required  to  be  done,  before  entering  the 
promised  land  ? 

F. — One  was,  the  numbering  and  enrolling  the  men  of  war.  This 
was  done  with  great  care ;  and  the  number  of  males,  from  twenty 
years  old  and  upwards,  exclusive  of  the  priests  and  Levites,  was 
601,730, — less  by  two  thousand  than  when  they  were  numbered  at 
Sinai,  almost  forty  years  before ;  so  thoroughly  had  the  work  of 
death  been  accomplished  upon  that  generation  of  Israelites  who 
came  out  of  Egypt. 

Another  thing  to  be  done  was  the  appointment  of  a  leader  to 
take  the  place  of  Moses.  Moses  requested  of  the  Lord  that  one 
might  be  appointed,  and  Joshua  was  expressly  indicated  and 
announced.  Then  Moses  took  Joshua,  and  set  him  before  Eleazer 
the  priest,  and  before  all  the  congregation,  and  laid  his  hands  upon 
him,  gave  him  a  charge,  and  solemnly  consecrated  him  as  the  future 
leader  and  judge  of  Israel. 

*S'. — While  these  things  were  doing,  a  proposition  came  to  Moses 
and  the  elders  of  the  people,  from  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and  Gad 
and  half  the  tribe  of  Manasseh,  that,  as  they  had  much  cattle,  and 
as  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan  where  they  were,  was  a  fine 
grazing  country,  they  might  have  their  portion  and  inheritance 
there.     How  did  Moses  regard  this  proposition  ? 

F. — At  first,  he  disapproved  of  it,  supposing  that  these  tribes 
intended  to  desert  their  brethren,  and  go  no  further  with  them. 
But  when  he  learned  that  this  was  not  the  case — that  they  would 
send  over  their  men  of  war  to  assist  in  the  conquest  of  Canaan, 
and  stand  by  their  brethren  until  the  whole  land  was  subdued, 
he  cheerfully  granted  their  request.  And  not  only  so,  he  divided 
unto  them  severally  the  bounds  of  their  inheritance  ;  and  the  work 
of  settlement  in  it  immediatelv  commenced. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  233 

S. — What  further  did  Moses  do  for  his  people  before  his  death  ? 

F, — He  described  the  boundaries  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  and 
appointed  twelve  men,  one  from  each  tribe,  to  divide  it  among  the 
nine  and  a  half  tribes  that  were  left  to  inherit  it.  He  also  repeated 
the  injunction  that  they  were  to  dispossess  and  drive  out  the  origi- 
nal inhabitants,  destroy  all  their  images,  and  keep  themselves  pure 
from  their  idolatries.  He  directed  that  forty-eight  cities  should  be 
given  to  the  Levites,  six  of  which  were  to  be  cities  of  refuge,  into 
which  the  man  who  had  accidentally  killed  any  one  might  flee  and 
be  safe.  But  for  the  intentional  murderer,  no  refuge  or  expiation 
was  provided  ;  he  must  surely  be  put  to  death. 

Only  one  thing  more  remained  to  the  illustrious  leader  of  Israel 
before  his  death  ;  and  that  was  to  gather  the  tribes  around  him, 
and  deliver  to  them  his  last  words.  These  will  be  the  subject  of 
our  next  conversation. 


CONVERSATION  XXIX. 

MOSES'  LAST  WORDS  AND  HIS  DEATH.— Prediction  of  the  Messiah.— Tke  song 
of  Moses. — Goes  alone  up  the  mount  to  die. — He  sees  the  promised  land. — His  age. — 
Important  lessons  from  his  life. — As  a  historian. — His  faith. — Meditations  on  the  life 
of  Moses. 

Son. — When  did  Moses  commence  delivering  his  last  message  to 
the  children  of  Israel  ? 

Father. — He  began  on  the  first  day  of  the  eleventh  month,  in  the 
fortieth  year  from  the  departure  of  the  children  of  Israel  out  of 
Egypt,  and  continued  the  service  as  recorded  in  the  book  of  Deu- 
teronomy. He  begins  by  briefly  recounting  to  the  people  their 
journeys  and  trials  from  the  time  when  they  left  Sinai  till  they 
arrived  at  their  present  encampment.  To  promote  their  humility 
and  self-distrust,  he  rehearses  the  murmurings  and  rebellions  of 
their  fathers,  and  the  sore  and  repeated  punishments  which  had 
been  inflicted  on  them.  He  tells  them  of  his  own  sin  at  the  waters 
of  Meribah,  and  of  the  judgment  denounced  upon  him  in  conse- 
quence— a  judgment  of  which  he  had  found  it  impossible  to  obtain 
a  remission,  so  that  he  might  himself  accompany  them  into  the 
j^romised  land.  He  repeats  to  them  the  laws  which  from  time  to 
time  had  been  promulged,  with  some  variations,  explanations,  and 
additions.  The  law  of  the  ten  commandments  was  scarcely  altered. 
Being  engraved  on  tables  of  stone,  and  intended  for  perpetual  and 
universal  observance,  it  could  not  be.  This  work  of  repeating  the 
laws  was  now  the  more  necessary,  since  those  who  first  heard  them 
had  gone  to  the  dead,  and  a  new  generation  had  taken  their  place. 

S. — What  memorable  prediction  do  we  find  in  this  last  address? 

F. — A  manifest  prediction  of  the  Messiah :  "A  prophet  shall  the 
Lord  your  God  raise  up  unto  you  from  among  your  brethren,  like 
unto  me.  My  word  shall  be  in  his  mouth,  and  unto  him  shall  ye 
hearken"  (Deut.  xviii.  15). 

S. — What  was  the  main  object  aimed  at  by  Moses  in  this  address  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  235 

F. — It  was,  in  one  word,  obedience.  He  knew  that  not  only  the 
prosperity,  but  the  very  life  of  his  people  depended  on  their  obedi- 
ence ;  and  hence  he  had  recourse  to  every  method  he  could  think 
of,  and  quite  exhausted  the  power  of  hmguage  in  his  exhortations, 
that  he  might  induce  them  to  obey.  He  placed  before  them  the 
happy  consequences  of  obedience,  and  the  sure  and  terrible  results 
of  wandering  from  God.  He  set  before  them,  to  use  his  own 
language,  "  blessing  and  cursing,  life  and  death."  He  solemnly 
renewed  their  covenant  with  God,  and  required  that  the  law 
should  be  publicly  read  to  them  at  the  great  annual  festivals  by  the 
priests.  He  did  more  than  this.  When  the  tribes  had  got  posses- 
sion of  the  promised  land,  he  required  that  they  should  be  assem- 
bled between  the  mountains  Gerizim  and  Ebal,  where  blessings 
should  be  pronounced  upon  those  who  kept  their  covenant,  and 
curses  upon  those  who  broke  it.  He  commanded  that  an  altar 
should  be  erected  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,  on  which  should  be 
indelibly  inscribed  the  conditions  of  their  peace  with  God. 

*S'. — What  further  did  Moses  do  for  his  people  on  this  solemn 
occasion  ? 

F. — He  not  only  delivered  the  address  of  which  we  have  spoken, 
but  he  wrote  it  in  a  book — the  same  book  of  Deuteronomy  which 
we  now  have.  And  as  though  this  was  not  enough,  he  composed  a 
song,  and  recited  it  to  the  people,  and  required  that  they  should 
commit  it  to  memory,  setting  forth  the  blessings  of  an  obedient 
life,  and  the  judgments  that  must  folloAV  upon  transgression.  He 
renewed  his  charge  to  Joshua,  who  was  to  be  his  successor,  and 
took  leave  of  the  tribes  in  a  prophetic  blessing  much  after  the 
manner  of  the  patriarch  Jacob,  addressing  each  tribe  separately, 
and  speaking  symbolically  of  its  future  course  and  destiny. 

*S'. — Having  now  performed  his  last  service  on  earth,  what 
further  remains  to  this  great  and  good  man  ? 

F. — He  takes  his  leave  of  the  camp  of  Israel,  and  goes  up  alone 
into  the  mountains  of  Abarim,  to  a  jDeak  called  Nebo  and  Pisgah, 
that  he  may  take  a  view  of  the  promised  land,  and  then  die.     And 


236  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

what  a  spectacle  is  this  !  The  venerable  leader  and  head  of  God's 
covenant  people  for  a  whole  generation,  who  had  fought  their  bat- 
tles, composed  their  differences,  borne  with  their  reproaches,  healed 
their  backslidings,  organized  their  government,  and  led  them  along, 
under  God,  to  their  present  position,  at  the  age  now  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  years,  yet  "  his  eye  not  dim,  nor  his  natural  force 
abated," — this  venerable  old  man  going  up  alone  into  the  mount- 
ains to  die  !  He  has  no  fears  or  anxieties  for  himself,  but  all  are 
expended  upon  his  people ;  and,  as  he  can  do  no  more  for  them,  he 
cheerfully  commits  them  to  their  covenant  God. 

He  goes  to  the  place  which  God  has  appointed ;  looks  over,  for  the 
last  time,  into  the  land  of  jtromise ;  surveys  its  towns,  its  plains,  its 
sunny  hills,  its  meandering  streams ;  and  when  he  has  feasted  his 
eyes  sufficiently,  he  quietly  closes  them  in  death.  He  resigns  his 
spirit  into  the  hands  of  angels,  who  are  waiting  to  convoy  it  to  a 
happier  Canaan  than  that  on  which  he  had  just  looked.  The  Lord 
took  care  of  his  lifeless  body.  He  buried  it  in  a  valley  in  the  land 
of  Moab,  and  no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  unto  this  day. 

"  On  Nebo's  lonely  mountain, 
Beyond  the  Jordan's  wave, 
In  a  vale  in  the  land  of  Moab 
There  is  a  lonely  grave. 
And  no  man  dug  the  sepulchre, 
And  no  man  saw  it  e'er, 
For  the  angel  of  God  upturned  the  sod. 
And  laid  the  good  man  there." 

And  when  the  children  of  Israel  found  that  Moses  was  dead,  they 
wept  for  him,  in  the  plains  of  Moab,  thirty  days. 

S. — The  character  and  work  of  Moses  are  worth  studying. 
Treasured  up  in  them  is  much  valuable  instruction.  Please  direct 
our  thoughts  to  some  of  the  more  important  lessons. 

F. — It  may  be  well  to  consider,  first  of  all,  our  indebtedness  to 
Moses,  more  especially  as  an  historian.  Bunsen  tells  us  that  "  his- 
tory was  born  on  the  night  when  Moses  led  forth  his  people  from 
Goshen."  We  have  fables  and  fictions  earlier  than  this,  but  noth- 
ing deserving  the  name  of  history.    Without  the  writings  of  Moses, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  237 

how  little  should  we  know  of  the  creation  of  the  world ;  of  the 
original  happy  state  and  sad  apostasy  of  man ;  of  the  earliest  insti- 
tutions given  to  our  race  ;  of  the  chronology  of  the  primitive  ages ; 
of  the  deluge,  and  the  causes  of  it ;  of  the  dispersion  of  the  nations, 
and  the  first  settlement  of  the  different  parts  of  the  world.  On 
this  one  point — the  origin  of  ancient  nations — the  writings  of  Moses 
give  us  more  light  than  all  others  put  together.  We  little  think, 
unless  we  reflect,  how  great  is  our  indebtedness  to  Moses  for  almost 
all  our  knowledge  of  ancient  times  and  things. 

*S'. — The  Apostle  Paul  cites  Moses  as  an  example  of  sfronr/ faitJi 
(Heb.  xi.  23-29)  ;  does  his  life  illustrate  this  trait  of  religious 
character? 

F. — It  does  ;  he  began  to  show  his  faith  at  a  very  early  period ; 
and  from  that  time  to  the  end,  his  life  was  pre-eminently  one  of 
faith.  "  By  faith,  he  refused  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's 
daughter,  choosing  rather  to  suffer  affliction  with  the  people  of 
God,  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season."  It  cannot  be 
supposed,  however,  that  this  important  decision  was  made  without 
a  struggle.  For  Moses  had  the  same  natural  propensities  as  other 
men — the  same  love  of  pleasure,  of  honor,  and  of  power.  But  when 
the  critical  moment  came,  when  he  must  decide  between  the  gratifi- 
cation of  these  low  desires,  and  the  love  and  favor  of  Israel's  God, 
he  did  not  hesitate ;  he  could  not  hesitate.  He  cast  away  the 
former,  and  clung  to  the  latter.  He  trusted  in  the  God  of  his 
fathers,  and  let  worldly  prospects  and  interests  go.  And  to  this 
decision  of  faith,  formed  in  early  life,  Moses  persistently  adhered  to 
the  end.  He  adhered  to  it  during  his  long  exile  in  the  land  of 
Midian  ;  he  adhered  to  it  in  all  the  trials  and  perils  of  his  inter- 
course with  the  proud,  the  hardened,  the  unbelieving,  the  shuffling 
monarch  of  Egypt;  he  adhered  to  it  at  the  Red  sea,  at  the  foot  of 
Sinai,  in  the  disappointment  at  Kadesh,  and  through  all  his  subse- 
quent wanderings  in  the  deserts.  Amidst  the  murmuring  of  friends 
and  the  assaults  of  foes,  in  perplexities  and  difficulties,  in  victory 
and  defeat,  in  the  face  of  danger  and  of  death,  we  find  Moses  (with 


238  CONVERSATION'S  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

a  single  exception)  the  same  meek,  submissive,  trustful,  obedient 
man,  walking  by  faith  and  not  by  sight,  seeking  only  to  know  the 
will  of  God  that  he  might  do  it,  up  to  the  last  inch  in  which  it  was 
clearly  revealed.  It  was  this  uniform,  consistent  piety,  the  result 
of  his  faith,  which  gives  to  the  character  of  Moses  its  special  charm. 
He  might  have  been  a  great  man  without  piety, — a  great  philoso- 
pher, a  great  general,  a  great  monarch  and  conqueror,  a  Nimrod,  a 
Belus,  a  Sesostris,  a  Shishak ;  but  without  his  uniform  and  consist- 
ent piety,  his  character  had  never  shone  out  upon  the  ages,  as  it 
now  does,  with  the  luster  of  a  consistent  goodness. 

S. — In  the  history  of  Joseph,  we  were  led  to  remark  on  the 
wonder-working  providence  of  God,  in  ordering  the  circumstances 
of  his  early  life.     May  not  the  same  remark  be  applied  to  Moses? 

F. — It  certainly  may,  and  with  an  equal  propriety.  Had  Moses 
been  born  at  any  other  period,  or  in  any  other  place,  he  would  have 
been  born  out  of  place,  and  the  great  purpose  of  his  life  had  not 
been  accomplished.  And  then  after  his  birth,  he  must  be  hid  three 
months  in  his  father's  house,  until  the  right  time  came  for  his  being 
exposed  upon  the  river;  and  when  he  was  exposed,  Pharaoh's 
daughter  and  her  maidens  must  conclude  to  take  a  walk  upon  the 
banks  of  the  river,  or  perhaps  to  bathe  in  it ;  and  as  they  walked, 
they  must  come  to  the  right  place,  and  see  the"  little  ark,  and  have 
their  curiosity  excited  to  look  into  it ;  and  when  compassion  was 
moved  for  the  little  sufferer,  and  the  princess  had  concluded  to 
adopt  it,  Miriam  must  be  at  hand  with  the  proposal,  "  Shall  I  run 
and  call  thee  a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew  women,  that  she  may  nurse 
the  child  for  thee  ?  "  In  all  these  events,  we  see  the  providence  of 
God  fulfilling  his  own  eternal  counsels,  and  yet  not  interfering  in 
the  slightest  degree  with  the  free-agency  of  his  creatures ;  for  all 
the  individuals  here  concerned  acted  as  freely  and  as  naturally  as 
though  God  had  no  providence  over  them,  or  purpose  respecting 
them.  And  thus  it  is  that  God's  providence  is  ever  at  work.  We 
should  never  distrust  it,  or  fret  under  it,  or  call  in  question  its 
wisdom  or  its  goodness. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  239 

S. — We  are  apt  to  think  that  the  providence  of  God  is  concerned 
only  with  great  events ;  but  should  not  the  history  of  INIoses  con- 
vince us  of  our  mistake  on  this  point  ? 

F. — Most  certainly  it  should.  Upon  what  slender  threads  hung, 
at  one  time,  the  life  of  Moses  !  One  hour  earlier  or  later  in  that 
walk  of  the  ladies  by  the  side  of  the  river,  a  few  rods  higher  up,  or 
lower  down,  and  the  little  ark  had  not  been  seen,  and  Moses  had 
been  lost.  And  when  the  ark  Avas  seen  and  opened,  if  the  little 
stranger,  instead  of  quietly  weeping,  had  been  petulant  and  angry, 
as  children  often  are,  the  yonng  princess,  instead  of  pitying  it  and 
taking  it,  would  have  dashed  it  from  her  to  be  thought  of  no  more. 
A  tear-drop  on  a  babe's  cheek  is  a  very  little  thing ;  and  yet,  how 
much,  under  God,  dej)ended  on  that  tear  !  Without  it,  we  might 
never  have  heard  of  Moses,  or  had  the  Pentateuch,  or  been  blessed 
with  that  inspired  record  of  events,  reaching  back  to  the  earliest 
age  of  the  w^orld,  which  INIoses  has  left  us. 

S. — Is  there  anything  emblematical,  and  instructive  as  to  the 
Christian  life.^  in  the  journey  of  Moses,  with  his  Israelites,  through 
the  Wilderness  ? 

F. — There  is  ;  and  so  the  case  is  represented  by  the  Apostle  Paul. 
Having  referred  to  the  principal  events  of  their  pilgrimage,  he  says, 
"All  these  things  happened  unto  them  for  ensamples,  and  they  are 
written  for  our  admonition,  on  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are 
come  "  (1  Cor.  x.  11).  In  tracing  the  progress  of  the  Israelites 
through  the  wilderness,  we  sometimes  find  them  in  pleasant  places, 
as  at  Elim,  where  were  three-score  and  ten  palm  trees  and  twelve 
wells  of  water ;  "  and  sometimes  in  uncomfortable  places,  as  at 
Marah,  where  the  waters  were  bitter.  We  sometimes  find  them 
famishing  with  hunger  and  thirst ;  and  then,  in  answer  to  prayer, 
bread  is  given  them  from  heaven,  and  water  gushes  forth  for  them 
from  the  smitten  rock.  They  are  sometimes  complaining,  and  then 
rejoicing ;  sometimes  subduing  their  enemies,  and  sometimes  fleeing 
in  dismay  before  them.  The  Israelites  are  led,  not  by  a  direct  path 
from  Egypt  into  Canaan,  but  by  a  very  crooked  and  often  myste- 


240  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

rioiis  one ;  and  yet  they  have  an  infallible  guidance,  and  are  led  in 
the  right  way.  They  at  length  come  together  on  the  banks  of  the 
Jordan,  and  all  who  are  prepared  for  it  j^ass  over  into  the  promised 
land. 

Such  are  some  of  the  incidents  of  the  pilgrimage  of  the  children 
of  Israel  ;  and  there  is  not  one  of  them  but  has  its  fulfillment  in 
the  Christian  life.  The  Christian  sometimes  finds  himself  in  pleas- 
ant places,  and  sometimes  in  rough  places ;  sometimes  ready  to 
famish  for  the  bread  and  the  water  of  life,  and  then  he  is  fed  with 
the  heavenly  manna,  and  quaffs  living  water  from  "  that  spiritual 
rock  which  follows  him,  which  rock  is  Christ."  Sometimes  the 
Christian  is  hoj)eful,  strengthened,  and  goes  on  his  heavenly  way 
rejoicing  ;  and  then  we  find  him,  like  the  wandering  Israelites, 
much  discouraged  because  of  the  way,  and  disposed  to  loiter  and 
complain.  In  conflicting  with  spiritual  enemies.  Christians  are 
sometimes  victorious,  and  then  vanquished;  and  when  wounded  by 
the  great  adversary,  the  method  of  their  deliverance  was  symbolized 
in  the  deserts :  "  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness, 
even  so  must  the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up,  that  whosoever  believ- 
eth  in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  The  path  of 
the  Christian  through  this  Avorld  is  often  mysterious,  running  this 
way  and  that,  he  hardly  knows  where ;  and  yet  there  is  no  mistake 
made  in  providence  ;  he  is  led  in  the  right  way.  Gods  knows  the 
wants  of  his  children  better  than  they  do,  and  will  not  withhold  that 
measure  of  discipline  which  their  best  good  requires.  And  as  the 
Israelites  came  at  last  to  the  Jordan,  and  passed  over  into  the  prom- 
ised land,  so,  at  the  time  appointed,  which  is  the  best  time,  God 
will  bring  all  his  children  down  to  the  cold  river,  and  through  its 
deep  waters  to  their  eternal  rest.  May  the  pilgrimage  of  each  one 
of  us  terminate  in  this  way ! 


CONVERSATION  XXX. 

JOSHUA  AND  THE  CONQUEST  OF  CANAAN.— Joshua  called  Jesus.— The  hook  of 
Joshua. — Who  wrote  it. — Joshua  sending  spies  into  Canaan. — Fall  of  Jericho. — The 
tabernacle  set  up  at  Shiloh. — Value  of  the  hook  of  Joshua. — Who  were  the  Canaanites. 
— Evidences  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan  other  than  the  Bible. — Had  the  Israelites  any 
right  to  the  land  of  Canaan. 

Son. — How  much  do  we  know  of  the  history  of  Joshua  ? 

Father. — Very  little.  He  was  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and  was 
born  in  Egypt  about  the  year  of  the  world  2460 — thirty  years  later 
than  the  birth  of  Moses.  He  was  fifty  years  old  when  he  came  out 
of  Egypt,  and  ninety  years  old  when  he  led  the  Israelites  into 
Canaan.  His  name  was  the  same  in  Hebrew  with  Jesus  in  Greek. 
Hence  Joshua  is  repeatedly  called  Jesus  in  the  New  Testament.* 

*S'. — When  do  we  first  hear  of  Joshua  ? 

F. — We  first  hear  of  him,  when  Amalek  fought  with  the  Israel- 
ites at  Rephidim, — not  long  after  they  came  out  of  Egypt.  ]\Io- 
ses  said  unto  Joshua :  "  Choose  you  out  men,  and  go  and  fight  with 
Amalek ;  and  I  will  stand  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  with  the  rod  of 
God  in  my  hand."  And  Joshua  did  as  Moses  had  said,  and  he  dis- 
comfited Amalek  with  the  edge  of  the  sword  (Ex.  xvii.  9). 

S. — What  tokens  of  regard  and  confidence  did  Joshua  receive,  at 
different  times,  from  Moses  ? 

F. — When  Moses  went  into  the  mount  to  receive  the  two  tables 
of  stone,  Joshua  accompanied  him.  He  was  also  one  of  the  twelve 
spies,  whom  Moses  sent  from  Kadesh  to  spy  out  the  promised  land. 
And  when  Moses  was  admonished  that  his  departure  drew  nigh,  he 
was  directed  to  take  Joshua,  to  set  him  before  the  priest  and  the 
congregation,  to  give  him  a  charge,  and  thus  formally  inaugurate 
him  as  his  successor. 

S. — Who  wrote  the  book  of  Joshua  ? 

F. — It  is  evident,  from  several  passages,  that  it  was  written  by 
some  one  who  was  cotemporary  with  the  events  recorded.     Thus 

*See  Acts  vii.  45,  and  Heb.  iv.  8. 


242  CONVERSATION'S  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

it  is  said  (Chap,  v,  1)  :  "  When  all  the  kings  of  the  Amorites  heard 
that  the  Lord  had  dried  nj)  the  waters  of  Jordan,  until  we  were 
passed  over," — importing  that  the  writer  was  one  of  those  that 
passed  over.  Again  it  is  said :  "  Joshua  saved  Rahab  the  harlot 
alive,  and  she  dwelleth  in  Israel  unto  this  day^^ — implying  that 
Rahab  was  alive,  when  the  book  was  written  (Josh.  vi.  25).  A  por- 
tion of  this  book,  we  are  expressly  told,  was  written  by  Joshua 
(Chap.  xxiv.  26).  The  probability  is,  that  he  wrote  the  greater  part 
of  it,  or  that  it  was  written  under  his  inspection  ;  though  some  of 
the  last  verses  must  have  been  added  by  a  later  hand. 

S. — What  is  the  general  subject  of  the  book  of  Joshua  ? 

F. — It  is  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  or  that  part  of  it  lying  west  of 
the  Jordan,  and  the  settlement  of  Israel  in  the  promised  land.  A 
portion  of  the  country  given  to  the  Israelites  had  been  conquered 
before. 

S. — How  does  the  book  commence  ? 

F. — With  a  solemn  charge  to  Joshua,  to  lead  the  armies  of  Israel 
over  the  Jordan,  and  put  them  in  possession  of  the  land  which  had 
been  promised  to  their  fathers  :  "Be  strong  and  of  a  good  courage  ; 
be  not  afraid,  neither  be  thou  dismayed  :  For  the  Lord  thy  God  is 
with  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest."  Next,  we  have  an  account  of 
Joshua's  sending  spies  to  spy  out  Jericho,  of  their  entertainment 
by  Rahab,  of  the  covenant  which  they  made  with  her,  and  of  their 
safe  return.  Joshua  now  makes  preparation  for  crossing  the  Jor- 
dan. The  waters  are  miraculously  divided,  as  the  Red  Sea  had 
been,  and  the  whole  congregation  pass  over  in  safety. 

*S'. — What  was  the  first  care  and  work  of  Joshua,  after  passing  the 
river  ? 

F. — He  paused  on  the  western  bank  until  all  the  males  of  the  con- 
gregation, who  had  not  before  received  the  rite  of  circumcision,  were 
circumcised.  Then  they  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Passover,  on  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  first  month  at  even,  on  the  plains  of  Jericho — 
the  first  Passover  that  had  been  celebrated  for  forty  years — the  first 
that  most  of  the  congregation  then  living  had  ever  witnessed. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  243 

S. — How  does  the  conquest  of  Canaan  commence  ? 

F. — With  the  siege  and  capture  of  Jericho, — followed  by  the  sin 
and  destruction  of  Achan  and  his  family,  and  the  discomfiture  and 
subsequent  victory  before  Ai.  The  fall  of  Jericho,  in  the  peculiar 
manner  in  which  it  was  effected,  was  calculated  to  impress  upon  the 
Israelites,  and  to  do  it  early,  that  all  their  strength  was  in  God,  and 
that  all  their  dependence  must  be  upon  him.  For,  certainly,  the 
means  that  they  used  had  no  tendency  at  all  to  throw  down  the 
walls  of  a  fortified  city.  The  scenes  before  Ai  were  also  calculated 
to  impress  upon  the  people  the  necessity  of  a  strict  adherence  to 
the  Divine  commands.  If  they  presumed  to  transgress,  however 
secretly,  they  might  be  sure  that  their  sin  would  find  them  out. 

S. — What  followed  the  destruction  of  Ai  ? 

F. — There  was  the  league  with  the  Gibeonites,  who  contrived,  by 
stratagem,  to  circumvent  the  unsuspecting  leader  of  Israel,  and 
draw  him  into  a  treaty  offensive  and  defensive.  The  kings  in  the 
southerly  part  of  Canaan  now  combine  together  against  Gibeon,  and 
against  Israel ;  but  they  are  defeated  by  Joshua  with  prodigious 
slaughter.  During  this  great  battle  of  Beth-horon,  the  Lord  poured 
upon  the  enemies  of  Israel  a  tremendous  storm  of  hail,  and  more 
died  with  hail-stones,  than  were  slain  with  the  sword.  It  was  dur- 
ing this  battle,  that  the  sun  and  moon  stood  still,  in  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  Joshua,  until  the  people  had  avenged  themselves  of  their 
enemies. 

S. — What  followed  the  conquest  of  the  southerly  part  of  Ca- 
naan? 

F. — Almost  immediately,  there  was  another  and  still  greater  con- 
federacy of  Canaanitish  kings,  inhabiting  the  northern  part  of  Pales- 
tine, where  armies  are  said  to  have  been  "  as  the  sand  on  the  sea- 
shore for  multitude,  with  horses  and  chariots  very  many."  All 
these  the  Lord  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  Israelites,  who  smote 
and  consumed  them,  until  none  of  their  great  army  was  left.  With 
this  battle  ended  the  proper  conquest  of  Canaan.  There  were  a 
few  border  tribes  and  several  strongholds  which  were  not  subdued, 


244  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

and  which,  subsequently,  gave  the  Israelites  much  trouble.  But  the 
land  was  so  far  subdued  that  the  people  now  rested  from  war,  and 
entered  on  the  more  agreeable  task  of  dividing  and  settling  the 
country. 

S. — Where  was  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation  set  up,  and 
the  public  worship  of  God  established  ? 

F. — It  was  established  at  Sliiloh,  a  central  position  in  the  country 
of  Ephraim,  near  to  the  city  which  had  become  the  i^roperty  and 
the  permanent  home  of  Joshua. 

S. — How  does  the  book  of  Joshua  end  ? 

F. — In  the  concluding  chapters,  we  have  an  account  of  the  return 
of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half, — who  had  faithfully  assisted  their 
brethren  in  the  conquest, — to  their  cities  on  the  eastern  side  of  Jor- 
dan ;  also  of  Joshua's  farewell  address  to  the  Israelites,  and  of  his 
death.  His  farewell  address  is  much  in  the  style  of  Moses'  valedic- 
tory on  a  similar  occasion.  Both  are,  in  the  highest  degree,  touch- 
ing, appropriate  and  eloquent,  and  must  have  left  a  deep  impression 
on  the  minds  of  the  people. 

S. — What  can  be  said  as  to  the  value  of  the  book  before  us  ? 

F. — It  contains  the  history  of  Israel  for  about  twenty  years — a 
short  but  most  eventful  period.  It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
and  important  books  of  the  Old  Testament;  and  should  never  be 
separated  from  the  Pentateuch,  of  which  it  is  both  the  continuation 
and  completion. 

S. — How  long  did  Joshua  live  after  the  conquest  ? 

F. — About  ten  years.  He  was  one  hundred  and  ten  years  old 
when  he  died.  He  was  buried  at  Timnath-serah,  in  the  border  of  his 
inheritance  on  mount  Ephraim,  where  rest  his  remains  unto  this  day. 

S. — Who  were  the  Canaanites  whom  Joshua  dispossessed  ? 

F. — They  were  the  same  people  originally  as  the  Phcenicians, 
who  built  Tyre  and  Sidon  and  Carthage,  and  introduced  letters  and 
civilization  into  Greece.  They  may  have  advanced  farther  in  some 
of  the  arts  than  the  Israelites ;  but  they  were  base,  cruel,  bloody 
idolaters,  and  as  such  were  under  the  curse  of  God. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  245 

aS*. — Have  we  any  evidence  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  aside 
from  that  contained  in  the  Scriptures  ? 

F. — We  have.  Thus  Procopius,  the  historian  who  accompanied 
Belisarius  into  Africa,  in  the  sixth  century,  found  at  Tigisis  (the 
same  as  Zangiess)  two  stone  columns,  near  a  great  fountain,  on 
which  was  engraved,  in  Phoenician  letters,  the  following  inscrip- 
tion :  "  We  are  they  who  fled  from  the  face  of  Joshua  the  robber, 
the  son  of  Nun."  The  same  monument  is  spoken  of  by  others,  and 
is  regarded  by  learned  men  at  the  present  day  as  a  genuine  testimo- 
nial to  the  truth  of  the  sacred  history. 

iS'. — What  right  had  the  children  of  Israel  to  invade  and  destroy 
the  Canaanites? 

F. — They  had  no  right  at  all,  except  that  which  was  given  them 
by  God.  "The  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness  thereof;"  and 
he  has  a  right  to  give  it  to  whomsoever  he  will.  The  Israelites 
had  no  right,  unbidden,  to  take  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan ; 
but  God  had  a  right  to  give  it  to  them ;  and  he  had  given  it  to 
them  in  a  thousand  grants,  and  in  the  most  explicit  terms.  The 
Israelites  had  the  best  possible  title,  therefore,  to  the  land  of 
Canaan ;  and  their  invasion  of  it,  at  the  appointed  time,  so  far  from 
showing  their  rapacity  and  wickedness,  proved  their  obedience. 

S. — Does  not  this  book  give  a  sanction  to  war — to  offensive  war — 
to  war  in  its  most  odious  and  objectionable  form  ? 

F. — I  think  not.  God  had  a  right  to  destroy  these  guilty  Ca- 
naanites in  any  way  he  pleased, — by  fire  or  flood,  by  earthquake, 
pestilence,  or  wild  beasts.  He  had  also  a  right  to  destroy  them  in 
ivar — to  commission  some  other  nation  to  go  against  them,  and 
exterminate  them.  He  could  not  commission  a  nation  to  go  against 
them  in  a  wicked  spirit — a  spirit  of  malice,  plunder  and  blood,  but 
to  go  by  his  authority  and  as  his  instrument,  in  his  fear  and  to  his 
glory,  and  execute  a  merited  work  of  destruction  in  his  name. 
Thus  God  commissioned  Joshua  to  go  against  the  Canaanites ;  and 
in  this  spirit,  so  far  as  appears,  the  great  leader  of  Israel  went. 
And  as  to  any  sanction  or  encouragement  which,  by  so  doing,  he 


246  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

gave  to  the  practice  of  war,  I  only  say :  When  other  nations  can 
show  as  high  a  commission  for  going  to  war  as  Joshua  had,  let  them 
go.  But  until  they  can  produce  a  like  commission  from  God,  let 
them  never  attempt  to  justify  their  wars,  by  pleading  the  example 
of  Joshua. 

S. — What  traits  of  the  Divine  character  do  we  find  specially 
illustrated  in  the  book  of  Joshua  ? 

F. — We  see  both  the  justice  and  the  faithfulness  of  God, — his 
justice  in  bringing  a  merited  destruction  upon  the  devoted  Canaan- 
ites ;  his  faithfulness,  in  fulfilling  his  promises  to  the  patriarchs, 
that  he  would  give  the  land  of  Canaan  to  the  children  of  Israel  for 
a  possession.  The  descendants  of  Canaan  took  possession  of  this 
land  soon  after  the  flood.  It  was  a  good  country,  a  fertile  and 
beautiful  country  ;  and  long  did  God  continue  to  try  and  prove  its 
original  inhabitants  with  mercies.  The  sun  shone  upon  them,  the 
rains  descended,  the  earth  brought  forth  its  increase,  and,  as  years 
rolled  by,  the  people  rioted  on  the  profusion  of  God's  bounty  and 
mercy.  But  instead  of  being  melted  under  a  sense  of  his  goodness, 
they  were  hardened;  instead  of  their  growing  better,  they  con- 
stantly grew  worse.  Still,  God  was  not  in  haste  to  execute  his 
judgments  and  sweep  them  away.  He  waited  more  than  six  hun- 
dred years, — all  the  while  trying  them  with'  mercies,  and  calling 
upon  them  in  his  providence  to  be  wise.  Even  after  he  had  pur- 
posed to  destroy  them,  and  had  revealed  his  purpose  to  Abraham, 
he  waited  more  than  four  hundred  years,  because  (to  use  his  own 
expression)  "  the  iniquity  of  the  Amorites  is  not  yet  full." 

But  at  length,  the  cup  of  their  iniquity  was  full,  and  so  was  the 
cup  of  Divine  indignation  ;  and  when  the  last  drop  had  fallen  into 
this  fatal  cup,  it  was  poured  out  upon  them  to  their  utter  ruin, — an 
example  both  of  the  goodness  and  the  severity  of  God ;  of  good- 
ness, in  waiting  so  long  upon  this  guilty  people,  and  trying  them 
with  so  many  mercies ;  of  severity,  in  at  length  executing  upon 
them  his  threatenings,  and  sweeping  them  all  away. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  have  here  illustrated  the  faithfulness  of 


CONVERSATIOXS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  247 

God,  in  fulfilling  liis  promises  to  his  covenant  people.  These 
promises,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  not  fulfilled  as  soon  as 
made.  Tliej  looked  far  into  the  future,  through  intervening 
periods  of  deep  darkness  and  mystery.  But  in  the  appointed  time 
— the  best  time — they  were  all  fulfilled.  The  Canaanites  were 
driven  out,  or  exterminated,  and  Israel  was  put  in  possession  of 
the  promised  land.  So  true  is  it  that  the  God  of  Israel  is  a  faithful 
God — faithful  both  to  reward  his  people,  and  to  punish  his  enemies 
as  they  deserve. 

S. — We  have  in  the  book  of  Joshua  an  account  of  the  division 
of  the  conquered  country,  one  portion  being  allotted  to  this  tribe 
or  family,  and  another  to  that.     What  should  we  learn  from  this? 

F. — That  as  God  meted  out  the  boundaries  of  the  families  of 
Israel,  so  he  now  determines  the  bounds  of  our  habitations,  and 
exercises  a  constant  and  particular  providence  over  us.  It  should 
be  our  earnest  endeavor  to  learn  ivhere  God  Avould  have  us  be,  and 
tvhat  he  w^ould  have  us  do ;  and  if  -we  can  believe  that  we  are  in 
the  way  of  his  appointment,  then  we  need  ask  no  more  questions. 
We  should  be  satisfied  with  our  lot. 


CONVERSATION  XXXI. 

THE  RULE  OF  THE  JUDGES.— Who  wrote  the  book  of  Judges.— Names  of  the  judges. 
— Term  of  office. — Duties. — Idohxtry  of  the  Israelites. — Its  consequence. —  Six  hundred 
Philistines  killed  with  an  ox-goad. — Deborah's  song. — Gideon. — His  son  Abimelech  the 
usurper. — Samson. — Treachery  of  his  wife. — Capture  of  the  ark. — Jephthah  and  his 
daughter. 

Son. — Who  wrote  the  book  of  Judges  ? 

Father. — The  probability  is  that  certain  parts  of  it  were  written 
by  the  scribes,  in  the  time  of  the  Judges.  We  know  that  there 
were  such  men  in  all  the  tribes,  whose  business  it  was  to  keep  an 
account  of  the  respective  families,  and  to  register  the  more  im- 
portant transactions.  As  the  book  before  us  is  somewhat  frag- 
mentar}^  in  its  character,  the  probability  is  that  parts  of  it  were 
written  by  these  men.  It  must  have  been  compiled,  however,  and 
set  in  order,  by  some  inspired  man ;  and  we  know  of  no  one  to 
whom  it  may  be  with  so  much  probability  attributed  as  to  Samuel. 
He  lived  near  the  close  of  the  rule  of  the  Judges  ;  he  held  the  pen 
of  a  ready  writer  ;  he  was  an  inspired  man  and  a  prophet ;  and  the 
compiling  of  the  book,  and  (in  part)  its  authorship,  I  think  may  be 
ascribed  to  him. 

S. — Who  were  the  Judges,  and  what  was  the  nature  of  their  office  ? 

F. — They  are  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  Judges  appointed 
by  Moses  in  the  wilderness,  who  still  resided  among  the  people,  and 
brought  the  administration  of  justice  to  every  man's  door.  The 
Judges  about  whom  you  inquire  were  the  successors,  not  of  these 
legal  justices,  but  rather  of  Moses  and  Joshua.  They  stood  in  the 
place  of  God,  and  exercised  an  authority  inferior  only  to  his.  God, 
it  will  be  remembered,  was  not  only  the  religious  ruler  of  this  peo- 
ple, but  their  civil  Sovereign.  They  had  chosen  him  to  be  such, 
and  had  promised  obedience.  He  had  given  them  a  full  code  of 
political  laws  and  institutions,  and  he  needed  some  one  to  adminis- 
ter the  government  under  him,  or  at  least,  to  superintend  its  admin- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  249 

istration.  Tliis  work  devolved  i;pon  Moses  and  Joshua,  so  long  as 
they  lived ;  and  when  they  died,  it  descended  to  the  Judges. 

S. — How  many  Judges  were  there,  and  what  were  their  names  ? 

F. — Between  Joshua  and  Saul,  there  were  fourteen  of  them,  viz.^ 
Othniel,  Ehud,  Shamgar,  Deborah,  Gideon,  Abimelech,  Tolah,  Jair, 
Jephthah,  Ibzan,  Elon,  Samson,  Eli  and  Samuel.  Some  of  these 
were  appointed  directly  by  God ;  others  were  called  to  office  by  the 
force  of  circumstances  or  by  the  people,  with  the  manifest  approba- 
tion of  God.  Abimelech  alone  may  be  regarded  as  a  usurper,  and  I 
have  hesitated  about  numbering  him  among  the  Judges  of  Israel. 
They  were  called  forth,  ordinarily,  to  meet  some  emergency,  and  had 
a  general  direction  of  affairs  both  in  peace  and  war.  There  was  no 
salary  attached  to  their  office,  and  no  income  appropriated  to  them, 
unless  it  might  be  a  larger  share  in  the  spoils  of  war,  and  presents 
made  to  them  in  token  of  personal  regard.  They  were  simple  in 
their  manners,  moderate  in  their  desires,  and  generally  free  from 
ambition  or  avarice.  They  continued  in  office  during  life,  but 
had  no  authority  to  appoint  successors.  They  were  in  general  a 
noble  class  of  men,  who  felt  that  whatever  they  did  for  the  Israel- 
itish  nation  was  above  all  reward;  who  chose  rather  to  deserve  well 
of  their  country,  than  to  be  enriched  b}'  its  wealth. 

S. — What  was  the  state  of  Israel  under  the  Judges  ? 

F. — In  general,  it  M'as  a  state  of  peace  and  prosperity.  This 
remark  may  excite  surprise  ;  nevertheless,  it  is  true.  Thus  after 
Othniel,  it  is  said  that  the  land  had  rest  forty  years ;  after  Ehud, 
eighty  years ;  after  Deborah  and  Barak,  forty  years  ;  and  so  on. 
To  be  sure,  there  were,  in  these  seasons  of  rest,  occasional  and  terri- 
ble outbreakings  of  wickedness,  followed,  of  course,  by  distressing 
judgments  ;  but  these  were  confined,  for  the  most  part,  to  particular 
tribes,  or  sections  of  the  country.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  idol- 
atry among  the  people.  This  was  their  constantly  besetting  sin. 
Still,  the  tabernacle  of  God  was  open  at  Shiloh,  and  his  altars  were 
reverenced.  On  the  whole,  it  is  not  likely  that,  during  any  other 
equal  time,  the  people  ever  enjoyed  so  much  quietness  and  prosper- 


250  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

ity  as  they  did  under  the  Judges ;  and  this  shows  how  unreasonable 
they  were  in  wishing  to  terminate  this  form  of  government,  and  to 
have  a  king. 

S. — How  long  did  the  rule  of  the  Judges  continue  ?* 
F. — This  cannot  be  determined  by  the  book  itself;  for  though 
the  years  of  oppression  and  of  rest  are  frequently  given,  they  are 
not  so  in  every  case ;  and  the  probability  is  that  they  often  run  into 
each  other.  Assuming  the  correctness  of  the  statement  in  1  Kings 
vi.  1,  that  Solomon  commenced  building  the  temple  in  the  480th 
year  after  the  exode  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt,  it  will  not  be  diffi- 
cult to  decide  as  to  the  time  of  the  Judges.  The  Israelites  were 
forty  years  in  the  wilderness  ;  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  conquest 
of  Canaan  and  the  settlement  of  it  may  have  occupied  seven  years 
more.  Here  then  are  forty-seven  years  to  be  taken  from  the  four 
hundred  and  eighty.  Allowing  forty  years  to  the  reign  of  Saul, 
and  forty  more  to  the  reign  of  David,  and  supposing  Solomon  to 
have  commenced  building  the  temple  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign, 
here  will  be  eighty-four  years  more  (amounting  in  all  to  131)  to  be 
taken  from  the  480.  And  480 — 131  leaves  349  years  to  be  given  to 
the  judges,  or  to  be  reckoned  between  the  settlement  in  Canaan 
and  the  commencement  of  the  reign  of  Saul. 

There  is  another  reason  why  this  shorter  view  of  the  rule  of  the 
judges  is  to  be  preferred.  We  find  only  four  generations  between 
Salmon  (who  married  Rahab,  the  hostess  of  Jericho,  soon  after  the 


*It  may  be  thought  that  Paul  has  answered  this  question  for  us.  For  in  a  speech  in 
one  of  the  Jewish  synagogues,  he  says :  "  After  that,"  viz.,  the  conquest  and  division  of 
Canaan,  "  he  gave  unto  them  judges  about  the  space  of  four  hundred  and  ffty  years, 
until  Samuel  the  prophet,"  Acts  xiii.  20.  But  this  chronology  can  never  be  made  to 
harmonize  with  that  of  the  Old  Testatnent.  In  1  Kings  vi.  1,  it  is  said  that  "in  the  four 
hundred  and  eightieth  year  after  the  children  of  Israel  came  out  of  Egypt.  Solomon  began 
to  build  the  house  of  the  Lord."  How  then  can  there  have  been  four  hundred  and  fifty 
years  between  the  settlement  of  Canaan  and  the  birth  of  Samuel  ?  The  difficulty  may  be 
obviated  by  adopting  another  translation  of  the  passage  from  Paul,  which  the  original  will 
well  permit.  The  Apostle,  I  have  no  doubt,  intended  to  say :  "  After  these  things,  occupy- 
ing about  four  hundred  and  fify  years,  God  gave  them  judges,  until  Samuel  the  Prophet." 
This  rendering  makes  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  years  to  refer,  not  to  the  time  of  the 
judges,  but  to  events  which  took  place  previous  to  them,  running  back  almost  to  the  time 
of  Abraham's  settlement  in  Canaan. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


settlement  in  Canaan)  and  David.  Salmon  and  Raliab  were  the 
parents  of  Boaz,  and  Boaz  and  Rutli  were  the  parents  of  Obed,  and 
Obed  was  the  father  of  Jesse,  and  Jesse  of  David.  Now  we  must 
stretch  these  four  generations  to  the  utmost  limit  of  probability  to 
make  them  last  349  years.  They  cannot  possibly  be  extended 
another  hundred  years. 

S. — As  we  shall  not  have  time  to  examine  all  the  particulars  in 
the  book  of  Judges,  will  you  please  give  us  a  brief  analysis  of  its 
contents  ? 

F. — The  book  jiroperly  consists  of  two  parts.  The  first  sixteen 
chapters  are  a  continuous  history ;  the  last  four  chapters,  contain- 
ing the  story  of  jNIicali  and  the  Danites,  the  story  of  the  Levite  and 
his  concubine,  and  the  consequent  war  upon  the  Benjaminites, 
belong  to  an  earlier  part  of  the  history,  and  were  thrown  in  at  the 
end  so  as  not  to  interrupt  the  course  of  the  narrative.  They  consti- 
tute a  sort  of  appendix  to  the  book.  The  book  of  Ruth  may  be 
regarded  as  a  second  appendix;  since  the  events  there  so  beautifully 
recorded  took  j^lace  in  the  time  of  the  Judges. 

S. — Please  tell  us,  first,  of  the  historical  part  of  the  book. 

F. — The  history  commences  with  a  vigorous  attempt  on  the  part 
of  some  of  the  tribes  to  subdue  the  remainder  of  the  Canaanites. 
They  failed,  however,  to  destroy  them  utterly,  but  contented  them- 
selves with  putting  them  under  tribute.  Soon  they  began  to  asso- 
ciate with  them,  and  to  contract  family  alliances ;  and  then  it  was 
no  longer  possible  to  destroy  them,  without  destroying  their  own 
kindred.  The  next  step  was  to  go  to  their  festivals,  and  participate 
in  the  worship  of  their  gods.  This  led  them  into  idolatry  with  its 
kindred  abominations ;  and  this  brought  upon  them  sore  and  dis- 
tressing judgments  from  their  covenant  God  and  King. 

S. — Who  was  the  first  oppressor  of  the  Israelites  after  their 
settlement  in  Canaan? 

F. — His  name  was  Chushan-rishathaim,  an  invading  monarch 
from  the  east,  who  is  styled  king  of  Mesopotamia.  He  entered 
the  territories  of  Israel,  and  imposed  a  tribute,  which  lasted  eight 


252  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

years.  At  the  end  of  this  period,  the  j^eople  were  humbled,  and 
cried  unto  the  Lord  for  help,  who  raised  up  Othniel,  a  son-in-law 
of  Caleb,  to  take  up  arms  against  the  invader.  The  invader  was 
defeated  and  driven  back,  and  Israel  had  rest  forty  years. 

S. — What  was  the  conduct  of  the  Israelites  during  these  forty 
years  ? 

F. — In  many  places,  they  fell  into  their  old  habits  of  idolatry  and 
wickedness.  It  was  at  this  time  that  Micah  set  up  his  household 
gods  in  Mount  Ephraim,  and  succeeded  in  procuring  a  Levite  to  be 
his  priest  (Chap.  xvii).  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Ekinites  took 
the  city  of  Laish,  and  called  it  Dan,  after  the  name  of  their  ances- 
tor. They  also  stole  the  gods  of  Micah,  and  carried  away  his 
priest  (Chap,  xviii).  It  was  during  this  interval  that  the  disgrace- 
ful events  respecting  the  Levite  and  his  concubine  took  place,  fol- 
lowed by  repeated  assaults  upon  the  Benjaminites,  in  which  the  tribe 
was  almost  destroyed  (Chap.  xix).  We  have  no  difficulty  in  fixing 
the  date  of  these  transactions,  since  they  occurred  during  the  life 
of  Phinehas,  the  son  of  Eleazar  the  high  priest ;  consequently  within 
some  fifty  years  after  the  settlement  in  Canaan  (Chap.  xx.  28). 

S. — By  whom  were  the  Israelites  next  chastised  for  their 
wickedness? 

F. — After  the  death  of  Othniel,  the  Israelites  revolted  still 
farther  from  God;  and  to  chastise  them,  God  suffered  Eglon,  the 
king  of  Moab,  assisted  by  the  Ammonites  and  Amalekites,  to  bring 
them  into  bondage  eighteen  years.  This  hard  service  again  brought 
them  to  reflection  and  repentance.  They  cried  unto  the  Lord  for 
help,  and  he  raised  them  up  a  man  out  of  the  diminished  tribe  of 
Benjamin,  Avho  wrought  their  deliverance.  This  man  was  Ehud, 
who,  being  employed  to  carry  the  annual  tribute  to  the.  king  of 
Moab,  slew  him  with  a  concealed  weapon.  He  then  gathered  the 
Israelites  together,  fell  upon  the  bands  of  Moab,  and  destroyed  them. 
After  this,  the  land  had  rest  for  the  long  period  of  eighty  years. 

S. — The  next  invaders  of  Israel  were  the  Philistines;  and  who 
appeared  for  their  deliverance  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  253 

F. — This  was  Shamgar,  the  son  of  Anah,  who,  strengthened  like 
Samson  by  a  supernatural  power,  slew  six  hundred  Philistines  with 
an  ox-goad. 

S. — Previous  to  this,  idolatry  had  sprung  up  and  was  spreading 
among  the  Danites,  in  the  north  of  Palestine.  Who  was  sent  for 
their  chastisement? 

p, — God  let  loose  upon  them  Jabin,  who  styled  himself  king  of 
Canaan,  and  reigned  at  Hazor.  This  man  had  a  powerful  army, 
with  nine  hundred  war  chariots,  all  under  the  control  of  Sisera,  one 
of  the  most  experienced  captains  of  the  age.  The  Israelites  were 
so  distressed  by  him,  that  they  durst  not  travel  the  highways,  or 
cultivate  their  fields,  or  dwell  in  villages,  but  were  forced  to  retire 
into  caverns  and  fortified  places.  In  their  distress,  they  cried  unto 
the  Lord ;  and  he  sent  them  relief  by  the  hands  of  Deborah  and 
Barak.  Instigated  by  Deborah,  Barak  drew  together  an  army  at 
Mount  Tabor.  "With  all  possible  dispatch,  Sisera  marched  his 
forces  to  attack  him.  While  his  army  was  encamped  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain,  Barak  came  down  upon  him  with  such  fury,  that  he 
could  make  no  resistance,  but  fled  in  the  utmost  consternation. 
At  the  same  time,  God  poured  upon  his  army  a  terrible  storm  of  rain 
and  hail,  which  swelled  the  rivers  to  such  an  extent  that,  in  attempt- 
ing to  cross  them,  great  multitudes  of  the  Canaanites  were  swept 
away.  The  rout  was  complete,  the  victory  was  gained,  and  to  cele- 
brate it,  Deborah  composed  the  beautiful  song  recorded  in  Judges, 
chapter  fifth.     After  this  victory,  the  land  had  rest  forty  years. 

S. — During  this  period,  there  was  a  distressing  famine  in  Israel, 
and  many  of  the  people  were  obliged  to  seek  a  subsistence  in  other 
countries.     What  interesting  story  comes  in  here  ? 

F. — The  story  of  Ruth. 

S. — After  the  death  of  Deborah  and  Barak,  the  Israelites  fell 
into  their  old  impieties,  and  were  again  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  their  enemies.     Who  were  now  their  oj^pressors? 

F. — The  Midianites,  assisted,  no  doubt,  by  the  Moabites  and  the 
Amalekites.     These  predatory  hordes  came  up  in   vast   numbers, 


254  CONVERSATIOXS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

robbed  them  of  their  cattle,  and  carried  off  all  the  fruits  of  the 
earth.  They  left  them  nothing  on  which  to  subsist.  In  their 
affliction,  the  Israelites  cried  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  called  Gideon, 
the  Abiezrite  who  dwelt  at  Ophrah,  to  be  the  judge  and  deliverer 
of  his  people.  The  story  of  Gideon,  of  the  raising  and  trial  of  his 
little  army,  and  of  his  victory  over  the  Midianites,  is  one  of  the 
most  instructive  and  interesting  in  the  Bible. 

S. — What  followed,  after  the  death  of  Gideon  ? 

F. — His  son  Abimelech  made  himself  king.  He  reigned  at 
Shechem,  and  slew  all  his  brethren,  save  one,  but  he  did  not  prosper 
in  his  wickedness.  The  men  of  Shechem  rejected  him, — after  which 
he  fell  upon  them  with  a  great  slaughter.  In  the  course  of  the  war, 
he  was  himself  slain  by  the  hands  of  a  woman. 

S. — Who  judged  Israel,  after  the  death  of  Abimelech  ? 

F. — Tola,  the  son  of  Puah,  came  into  office,  and  continued  in  it 
twenty-three  years.  After  him  came  Jair,  a  Gileadite,  who  judged 
Israel  twenty-two  years.  In  his  time,  there  was  a  general  defection 
from  the  worship  of  the  true  God.  "  The  children  of  Israel  did 
evil  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  served  Baalim  and  Ashtaroth, 
and  the  gods  of  Syria,  and  of  Zidon,  and  of  Moab,  and  of  the 
Philistines,  and  of  the  children  of  Amnion."  This  was  the  most 
alarming  defection  which  had  occurred  among  the  Israelites  ;  and, 
as  usual,  it  prepared  the  way  for  distressing  judgments.  The  Am- 
monites were  let  loose  upon  them  from  the  east,  and  the  Philistines 
from  the  west  and  south,  and  the  people  were  enslaved  eighteen 
years.  In  this  time,  they  had  abundant  opportunity  to  reflect,  and 
to  see  the  error  of  their  ways.  They  mourned  over  their  sins  ; 
they  acknowledged  the  justice  of  their  inflictions ;  they  put  away 
the  strange  gods  that  were  among  them,  and  returned  unto  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Lord.  And  he  interposed  again  on  their  behalf.  The 
deliverer,  in  this  instance,  was  Jephthah,  the  Gileadite.  He 
engaged  the  Ammonites,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Jordan,  and  smote 
them  with  a  very  great  slaughter.  After  this  Jephthah  lived  in 
peace  and  honor,  and  judged  Israel  six  years. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  255 

S. — Who  were  his  immediate  successors  ? 

F. — First,  Ibzan  of  Bethlehem,  who  judged  Israel  seven  years. 
After  him  was  Elon,  of  the  tribe  of  Zebulon,  who  ruled  ten  years. 
Following  him  was  Abdon,  an  Ephraimite,  who  continued  eight 
years.  Of  these  judges  the  sacred  historian  has  recorded  very 
little.  During  their  administration,  the  Israelites  seem  to  have  had 
rest  and  peace, — the  result  of  which  was  a  falling  away  from  God. 
They  relapsed  into  their  old  idolatries,  and  God  delivered  them  into 
the  hands  of  the  Philistines  forty  years. 

S. — Near  the  close  of  this  long  period,  who  was  raised  up  to  an- 
noy the  Philistines  ? 

F. — Samson,  one  of  the  most  singular  characters  of  which  we 
have  any  account  in  the  Bible.  We  should  hardly  think  him  to  be 
a  pious  man,  but  that  Paul  mentions  him  among  the  worthies  who 
lived  and  died  in  faith  (Heb.  xi.  32).  Samson  was  a  Nazarite — 
consecrated  to  be  such  by  his  parents,  before  his  birth.  The  vow  of 
a  Nazarite  bound  him  to  abstain  entirely  from  wine  and  strong 
drink,  and  to  wear  his  hair  and  beard  unshorn.  On  the  fulfillment 
of  his  vow,  Samson  was  to  be  endowed  with  supernatural  strength, 
and  thus  qualified  to  be  the  deliverer  of  his  people.  While  his 
strength  continued,  he  had  various  strange  encounters  with  the  Phil- 
istines, in  all  of  which  he  was  victorious.  On  one  occasion  lie  slew 
a  thousand  of  them  with  no  other  weapon  than  the  jaw-bone  of  an 
ass.  His  besetting  sin  was  the  love  of  women,  and  this,  at  length, 
ruined  him.  He  became  enamored  of  a  vile,  mercenary  woman,  a 
Philistine,  whose  name  was  Delilah.  After  various  attempts,  she 
drew  from  him  the  secret  of  his  prodigious  strength.  It  was  con- 
ditioned on  the  fulfillment  of  his  Nazarite  vow,  and  the  wearing  of 
his  hair.  Knowing  this,  she  cut  off  his  hair,  while  sleeping  with 
his  head  upon  her  knees.  And  now  he  fell  an  easy  i)rey  to  the 
Philistines.  They  took  him  and  bound  him,  cast  him  into  prison, 
and  made  him  turn  a  hand  mill,  like  the  meanest  slave.  But  in  a 
little  time  Samson's  hair  grew  again,  and  with  it  his  strength  grad- 
ually returned ;  so  that  when  the  Philistines  brought  him  forth  to 


256  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


mock  at  his  misery,  and  thousands  of  them  covered  and  filled  the 
house  before  which  he  was  standing ;  he  managed  to  get  hold  of 
the  two  main  pillars  of  the  house,  and  pulled  it  down,  thus  destroy- 
ino-  himself  and  a  multitude  of  his  enemies.  He  slew  more  in  his 
death  than  he  had  done  in  his  life. 

aS'. — Who  judged  Israel  at  the  same  time  with  Samson  ? 

F. — It  was  Eli,  the  high  priest.  He  was  born  before  Samson,  and 
lived  long  after  his  death.  Eli  became  a  judge  in  Israel  at  the  age 
of  fifty-eight,  and  his  administration  continued  during  the  next 
forty  years.     He  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-eight. 

S. — Were  the  Philistines  conquered  and  humbled  by  Samson  ? 

F. — Not  at  all.  They  continued  their  depredations,  and  kept  the 
Israelites  in  perpetual  fear.  Near  the  close  of  Eli's  life,  the  people 
gathered  courage,  and  went  out  to  Aphek  to  give  battle  to  the 
Philistines;  but  they  were  beaten  before  their  enemies,  and  four 
thousand  of  them  were  slain.  Hoping  to  retrieve  their  loss  in 
another  encounter,  the  Israelites  went  to  Shiloh,  took  the  ark  of  the 
covenant  from  between  the  cherubim,  and  carried  it  into  their 
camp ;  but  though  the  ark  and  the  priests  were  there,  the  God  of 
Israel  was  not.  The  Israelites  w^ere  discomfited,  and  thirty  thou- 
sand fell.  Nor  was  this  all ;  the  ark  of  God  was  taken,  and  the 
two  sons  of  Eli  who  attended  it  were  slain. 

S. — When  Eli  heard  of  this  defeat,  and  of  the  capture  of  the 
ark,  how  was  he  affected  ? 

F. — He  fainted,  fell  from  his  seat  and  died.  He  was  a  good 
man,  and  zealous  for  the  worship  of  the  true  God ;  but  he  failed 
essentially  in  the  training  and  government  of  his  children.  "  His 
sons  made  themselves  vile,  and  he  restrained  them  not." 

S. — I  have  a  few  more  questions  on  the  book  of  Judges,  when 
this  long  conversation  may  close.  My  first  inquiry  relates  to  the 
conduct  of  Ehud  and  of  Jael,  in  taking  the  lives  of  Eglon  and  of 
Sisera.*  Did  they  do  right  in  thus  destroying  their  enemies? 
Were  their  acts  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God? 

*See  Judges  iii.  15-23,  iv.  18-21. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  257 

F. — I  know  not  how  to  justify  the  acts  of  these  deliverers  of 
Israel,  but  upon  a  single  supposition,  which  is,  that  they  both  acted 
under  a  Divine  imjndse,  which  amounted  to  a  revelation^  a  commis- 
sion from  the  3Iost  High.  To  my  own  mind,  this  supposition  is  not 
improbable  ;  and  on  this  ground  we  have  a  full  justification  of  their 
conduct.  God  had  a  right  to  cut  off  these  cruel  oppressors  of  his 
people  in  any  way  he  pleased — by  disease,  by  wild  beasts,  or  by  the 
sword  of  their  enemies.  He  had  a  right  to  commission  Ehud  to  go 
and  kill  Eglon ;  and  there  are  some  things  in  the  narrative  which 
confirm  this  view  of  the  case.  "I  have  a  message /rom  God  unto 
thee,  O  king  !  "  Now  who  shall  say  that  Ehud  had  not  a  message 
from  God — that,  in  thus  speaking,  he  did  not  tell  the  truth  ? 

And  so  in  the  case  of  Jael.  The  skill,  the  adroitness,  the  hero- 
ism she  displaj'ed,  as  well  as  the  praises  which  were  bestowed  upon 
her  in  the  inspired  song  of  Deborah,  all  go  to  show,  that  she  acted 
under  a  Divine  impulse,  which  amounted  to  a  revelation. 

S. — ]My  next  question  relates  to  the  case  of  Jephthah  and  his 
daughter.  When  Jephthah  went  forth  against  his  enemies,  he  made 
a  vow  unto  the  Lord  that,  if  he  was  enabled  to  triumph  over  them, 
and  came  back  to  his  house  in  peace,  whatsoever  should  first  come 
forth  from  his  doors  to  meet  him  should  be  the  Lord's,  and  he 
would  offer  it  up  for  a  burnt  offering.  So  when  he  returned,  the 
first  that  came  out  to  meet  him  was  his  daughter — an  only  child. 
And  it  is  said  that  he  did  to  her  according  to  his  vow.  The  ques- 
tion now  is.  Did  he  offer  her  up  for  a  burnt  sacrifice?  Could  he  be 
justified  in  so  doing? 

F. — My  own  opinion  is,  that  he  did  not  offer  her  as  a  burnt  sacri- 
fice ;  and  my  reasons  are  the  following :  First,  the  language  of 
Jephthah's  vow,  interpreted  as  it  well  may  be,  does  not  imply  it. 
The  Hebrew  letter  van.,  commonly  translated  and.,  is  in  some 
instances  translated  or,  and  may  be  so  rendered  here.  And  thus 
rendered,  the  vow  would  read  :  "  Whatsoever  cometh  forth  first  to 
meet  me,  when  I  return  in  peace,  shall  surely  be  the  Lord's,  or  I 
I  will  offer  it  up  for  a  burnt  offering."     The  meaning  is,  "  If  the 


258  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

creature  first  coming  forth  is  suitable  for  a  burnt  offering,  it  shall 
be  offered  up ;  but  if  not,  it  shall  be  consecrated  and  devoted  to 
the  Lord."  Now  his  daughter  was  not  suitable  for  a  burnt  offer- 
ing. He  could  not  so  dispose  of  her,  in  consistency  with  the 
jMosaic  law,  or  the  spirit  of  his  religion.  What  then  does  his  vow 
bind  him  to  do?  To  consecrate  and  devote  her  to  the  Lord, — 
to  be  in  a  peculiar  sense  his ;  so  that  she  should  never  be  given  in 
marriage  to  any  man.  This  seems  to  me  to  be  the  purport  of  the 
vow.  And  I  remark,  secondly,  what  is  said  of  her  afterwards  is 
consistent  with  this  interpretation,  and  with  no  other.  Her  com- 
panions bewailed,  not  her  early  death,  but  her  perpetual  virginity; 
and  what  her  father  said  of  her,  after  he  had  done  to  her  according 
to  his  vow,  viz.^  that  "  she  knew  no  man,"  would  be  quite  superflu- 
ous on  supposition  of  her  death. 

*S'. — I  only  ask  further  that  you  would  point  out  some  of  the 
practical  suggestions  growing  out  of  this  interesting  book. 

F. — We  see,  first,  the  tendency  of  our  fallen  human  nature,  to 
backslide  from  God.  The  history  of  Israel,  through  all  these  years, 
is  little  less  than  a  history  of  their  backslidings.  Nor  did  their  oft- 
repeated  corrections  and  recoveries  cure  them  of  this  propensity. 
No  sooner  was  the  infliction  lightened  and  the  restraint  removed, 
than  back  they  would  fall  into  their  former  courses  of  sin. 

We  see,  also,  the  astonishing  forbearance  of  God.  Why  did  he 
not  give  up  this  people  utterly  ?  Why  did  he  bear  with  them  after 
such  repeated  provocations?  Why  not  abandon  them  to  their  own 
hearts' wanderings?  Because  he  is  "merciful  and  gracious,  long- 
suffering,  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  iniquity,  trans- 
gression and  sin." 

We  see  the  readiness  of  God  to  return  to  his  people,  so  soon  as 
they  return  to  him.  Whenever  these  Israelites  began  to  relent,  and 
to  cry  to  him  for  mercy,  his  soul  was  grieved  for  their  miseries, 
and  we  hear  him  saying:  "How  shall  I  give  you  up,  Ephraim? 
How  shall  I  deliver  you,  Israel?  My  heart  is  turned  within  me, 
and  my  repentings  are  kindled  together." 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  250 


Let  us  hear,  then,  the  conclusion  of  the  wliole  matter :  If  God's 
people  would  not  feel  his  correcting  rod,  then  they  must  refrain 
from  sin.  Let  them  live  near  to  God  at  all  times,  and  walk  closely 
and  consistently  with  him,  and  their  peace  shall  be  as  a  river,  and 
their  righteousness  as  a  flowing  stream.  They  may  dwell  perpetu- 
ally in  the  sunshine  of  his  love. 


CONVERSATION  XXXII. 

SAMUEL  AND  SAUL.— The  ark  in  the  lands  of  the  Pliilistines.— A  fearful  curse  to 
them. — Tlieir  dread  of  it. — Plan  to  dispose  of  it. — The  result. — Samuel  implored  for  a 
king. — Samuel  anoints  Saul. — The  first  king  of  the  Israelites. — His  reign. — A  successor 
chosen. — The  intercourse  of  Samuel  and  Saul  broken. 

Son. — Who  was  the  successor  of  Eli  as  the  judge  of  Israel  ? 

Father. — Samuel, — a  judge  and  a  prophet  of  greater  eminence 
than  any  that  had  lived  since  the  death  of  Joshua.  He  was  conse- 
crated to  God  from  his  birth,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  weaned,  Avas 
brought  to  Eli  at  Shiloh,  to  be  trained  up  in  the  service  of  the 
tabernacle. 

aS'. — Under  what  circumstances  did  God  first  reveal  himself  to 
Samuel? 

F. — He  was  called,  in  mere  childhood,  to  denounce  the  judgments 
of  God  upon  the  house  of  Eli  for  their  wickedness — a  message 
which  he  faithfully  delivered,  and  which  was  terribly  fulfilled  in 
the  death  of  Eli  and  his  two  sons,  at  the  time  when  the  ark  of  God 
was  taken.  It  is  probable  that  Shiloh,  which  had  so  long  been  the 
seat  of  the  tabernacle  worship,  was  at  this  time  captured  and 
destroyed. 

>S'. — How  old  was  Samuel  at  the  death  of  Eli  ? 

F. — Probably  about  twenty-two.  He  had  been  known,  for  years, 
as  a  prophet  in  Israel.  He  now  became  their  judge,  yet  we  hear 
little  of  his  doings  for  the  next  twenty  years, — all  which  time, 
though  the  Israelites  were  constantly  distressed  by  the  Philistines, 
they  persisted  in  their  idolatries. 

jS. — Was  the  ark  of  the  covenant  any  help  to  the  Philistines, 
while  it  remained  with  them  ? 

F. — No  ;  but  rather  a  curse.  They  first  took  it  to  Ashdod,  one  of 
their  principal  cities,  and  put  it  in  the  house  of  Dagon,  their  god  ; 
but  the  image  of  Dagon  fell  down  before  it,  and  broke  off  its  head 
and  arms,  so  that  there  was  nought  but  the  stump  of  Dagon  left. 
Also  the  men  of  Ashdod  were  smitten  with  a  terrible  disease  ;  and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  261 

in  their  distress  and  terror,  they  concluded  to  send  away  the  ark  to 
Gath.  But  the  people  of  Gath  fared  no  better.  They  were  smit- 
ten with  the  same  disease,  and  resolved  to  remove  the  ark  to  Ekron. 
But  the  Ekronites  wisely  refused  to  receive  it ;  and  then  it  was  con- 
cluded to  send  back  the  fatal,  dreaded  symbol  into  the  land  of 
Israel  where  it  belonged.  So  they  placed  the  ark  in  a  new  cart,  and 
hitched  to  it  two  milch  cows,  which,  as  if  by  instinct,  but  really  by 
a  Divine  direction,  drew  the  ark  back  into  the  land  of  Israel. 

S. — What  became  of  the  ark,  on  its  return  to  the  Israelites? 

F. — It  first  rested  at  Beth-shemesh,  in  the  land  of  Judah ;  but  for 
presumptuously  looking  into  the  ark,  God  smote  the  men  of  Beth- 
shemesh,  and  many  of  them  died.  Upon  this,  the  survivors  sent  to 
Kirjath-jearim,  requesting  that  the  ark  might  be  received  there. 
And  there  it  was  received,  and  there  it  rested  more  than  eighty 
years, — through  the  whole  administration  of  Samuel  and  Saul,  unto 
the  first  part  of  the  reign  of  David. 

S. — When  the  Israelites  had  been  sufficiently  humbled,  and  began 
to  seek  after  God,  what  did  Samuel  do  for  them  ? 

F. — He  said  unto  them  :  "  If  ye  do  return  unto  the  Lord  with  all 
your  hearts,  then  put  away  the  strange  gods  that  are  among  you, 
and  prepare  your  hearts  unto  the  Lord,  and  serve  him  only,  and  he 
will  deliver  you  out  of  the  hand  of  the  Philistines."  Tlien  the 
children  of  Israel  put  away  their  idols,  and  entered  anew  upon  the 
service  of  the  Lord.  Encouraged  by  these  appearances,  Samuel 
gathered  the  people  together  to  Mizpeh,  a  central  city  in  the  land 
of  Benjamin,  and  there  kept  a  day  of  solemn  humiliation,  fasting 
and  prayer.  There  was  a  general  and  public  confession  of  sin,  and 
an  earnest  supplication  to  God  for  mercy. 

,  S. — Did  the  Philistines  attack  the  Israelites  at  this  time  ? 

F. — They  did.  When  they  heard  of  their  assembling  at  Mizpeh, 
they  came  out  in  great  force  against  them.  But  the  Lord  thundered 
upon  the  Philistines  with  a  great  thunder,  and  terrified  and  dis- 
comfited them.  And  the  children  of  Israel  pursued  after  them  till 
thej^  came  to  Bethcar.     And  Samuel  here  took  a  stone  and  set  it 


2G2  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

up  in  token  of  the  victory,  and  called  the  name  of  it  Ebenezer,  the 
stone  of  help,  saying,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us." 

S. — In  the  season  of  peace  which  followed  this  victory,  how  did 
Samuel  employ  himself? 

F. — He  diligently  improved  the  time  for  the  instruction  and  bene- 
fit of  the  people.  He  had  his  house  in  Ramah,  near  to  Mizpeh, 
where  he  built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.  He  also  went  an  annual 
circuit  to  Bethel,  to  Gilgal,  and  to  Gilead  on  the  other  side  Jordan, 
reforming  abuses,  administering  justice,  and  instructing  the  people 
in  the  ways  of  the  Lord. 

^S'. — What  mistake  of  administration  did  Samuel  make  about  this 
time  ? 

F. — He  appointed  his  two  sons  to  be  judges  in  the  southernmost 
part  of  the  land.  This  was  an  innovation  upon  previous  custom  ; 
and  it  operated  unfavorably,  both  upon  the  young  men,  and  upon 
the  minds  of  the  people.  His  sons,  we  are  told,  "  walked  not  in  his 
ways,  but  turned  aside  after  lucre,  and  took  bribes,  and  perverted 
judgment."  Their  conduct  so  disaffected  the  people,  that  the  elders 
of  Lsrael  came  together  to  Samuel  at  Ramah,  and  requested  him  to 
anoint  them  a  king,  that  they  might  be,  in  this  respect,  like  the 
other  nations.  The  proposition  was  displeasing  to  Samuel,  who 
endeavored  to  dissuade  them  from  it,  but  in  vain.  They  continued 
to  clamor  for  a  king ;  and  God,  at  length,  directed  Samuel  to  yield 
to  their  wishes.  They  should  have  a  king ;  but  then  he  must  be 
such  an  one  as  God  should  appoint ;  and  he  must  reign  over  the  peo- 
ple as  God''s  vicegerent,  subject  to  his  authority,  and  bound,  like 
every  one  else,  to  obey  his  laws. 

S. — Who  was  the  first  king  of  Israel  ? 

F. — Saul  the  son  of  Kish,  a  Benjamite.  He  was  a  man  of  high 
promise,  portly  in  appearance,  taller  by  his  whole  head  than  any  of 
his  fellows,  and  possessing,  so  far  as  appears,  an  unblemished  charac- 
ter. Saul  must  have  been  at  this  time  near  forty  years  old  ;  Sam- 
uel was  between  fifty  and  sixty.  Saul  reigned  forty  years,  and 
Samuel  died  only  a  few  years  before  him,  at  the  age  of  ninety-two. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  263 

S. — On  the  accession  of  Saul,  did  Samuel  cease  to  be  a  judge  in 
Israel ? 

F. — He  did  not ;  for  it  is  said  expressly  that  "  he  judged  Israel 
all  the  days  of  his  life  "  (1.  Sam.  vii.  15).  Saul  was  a  military 
chieftain.  He  had  charge  of  the  array  and  of  the  military  defenses 
of  the  country ;  but  the  administration  of  justice,  and  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  people,  were  entrusted  to  Samuel,  as  they  had  been 
before.  Indeed  Saul  himself  was,  to  some  extent,  under  the  control 
of  Samuel.  As  an  inspired  prophet  of  God,  Samuel  directed  his 
movements,  reproved  him  for  his  faults,  in  some  instances  counter- 
manded his  orders,  and,  finally,  when  he  found  that  he  could  not 
confide  in  Saul,  set  up  another  and   better  man  to  succeed  him. 

*S'. — What  was  Saul's  first  military  expedition  ? 

F. — It  was  against  the  Ammonites.  Nahash,  their  king,  had 
besieged  Jabesh-Gilead,  a  town  on  the  east  side  of  the  Jordan,  and 
had  sent  a  most  insulting  message  to  the  men  of  Jabesh.  He  would 
consent  to  spare  them  only  on  the  condition  of  their  coming  out  to 
him,  and  submitting,  every  one  of  them,  to  have  his  right  eye  bored 
out.  Saul,  hearing  of  this,  quickly  raised  an  army,  and  went  to  the 
relief  of  .the  men  of  Jabesh.  He  routed  the  Ammonites,  and  scat- 
tered their  forces  in  all  directions. 

S. — What  was  Saul's  second  expedition  ? 

F. — It  was  against  those  old  and  valiant  enemies  of  Israel,  the 
Philistines.  They  had  gradually  extended  their  conquest  east- 
ward, until  nearly  all  central  Palestine  had  come  into  their  posses- 
sion. The  sanctuaries  so  long  frequented  in  the  center  of  the 
country.  Bethel,  Mizpeh  and  Shiloh,  were  deserted,  and  when  Saul 
was  inaugurated,  the  services  had  to  be  performed  in  the  very  out- 
skirts of  Palestine,  at  Gilgal,  in  the  valley  of  the  Jordan. 

S. — A  war  now  commenced  with  the  Philistines  ;  who  was  chiefly 
instrumental  in  introducinsf  it? 

F. — It  was  Jonathan,  the  brave  son  of  Saul.  He  attacked  and 
took  a  garrison  of  the  Philistines  at  Geba,  in  the  second  year  of  his 
father's   reign.     Shortly   after   this,  when    Saul   was  in  imminent 

17 


264  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

danger  of  being  destroyed  by  the  Philistines  at  his  own  home  in 
Gibeah,  Jonathan  and  his  armor-bearer  went  out  against  the  enemy 
single-handed  and  alone,  and  slew  about  twenty  men.  At  the  same 
time,  there  was  an  earthquake,  and  a  great  trembling.  In  their 
terror,  the  Philistines  fled  away  in  such  haste  that  they  trod  down 
and  destroyed  one  another.  When  Saul  saw  Avhat  was  doing,  he 
and  many  others  joined  in  the  pursuit,  and  the  Philistines  were 
beaten  with  great  slaughter. 

S. — How  was  Saul's  conduct  in  this  war  regarded  ? 

F. — It  was  displeasing  to  God,  to  Samuel,  and  to  the  people  gen- 
erally. Nevertheless,  God  did  not  yet  desert  him.  He  was  with 
him  in  his  subsequent  wars,  and  gave  him  the  victory  over  his  ene- 
mies. He  fought  against  Moab,  and  against  the  children  of  Amnion, 
and  against  Edom,  and  against  the  kings  of  Zobah  on  the  other  side 
Jordan,  and  whithersoever  he  went  he  prospered. 

S. — In  the  midst  of  this  prosperity,  what  message  did  Samuel 
bring  to  Saul  from  God  ? 

F. — God  said  to  him,  "  I  remember  what  Amalek  did  to  Israel ; 
how  he  laid  wait  for  him  in  the  way,  when  he  came  out  of  Egypt. 
Go,  therefore,  and  smite  Amalek,  and  utterly  destroy  all  that  he 
hath,  both  man  and  woman,  infant  and  suckling,  ox  and  sheep, 
camel  and  ass."  Such  was  the  charge  whicli  Saul  received  from 
God.  We  shall  see  how  he  fulfilled  it.  He  gathered  a  great  army 
and  went  down  into  the  south  country  to  fight  the  Amalekites. 
And  he  smote  them  with  a  great  slaughter.  He  destroyed  all  their 
people,  but  spared  Agag,  their  king,  and  also  the  best  of  their  sheep 
and  oxen,  their  fatlings  and  lambs.  Of  course,  he  failed  to  obey 
the  whole  Divine  command,  and  exposed  himself  anew  to  the  dis- 
pleasure of  God,  and  to  the  rebukes  of  Samuel.  Samuel  now  told 
him  plainly,  that  as  he  had  rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord 
had  rejected  him  from  being  king  over  Israel.  "  The  Lord  hath 
rent  the  kingdom  from  thee,  and  hath  given  it  to  a  neighbor  of 
thine  that  is  better  than  thou." 

S. — How  was  Saul  affected  by  this  rebuke  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  265 

F. — He  professed  to  humble  himself  and  repent.  He  asked  for- 
giveness of  God  and  of  Samuel,  and  begged  that  Samuel  would 
still  stand  by  him,  and  honor  him  before  the  people  and  the  elders 
of  Israel.  To  this  Samuel  consented  for  the  time  ;  but  he  soon  re- 
turned to  his  house  at  Ramah,  and  all  pleasant  intercourse  between 
him  and  the  king  was  from  that  period  broken  off.  Nevertheless 
Samuel  seems  to  have  had  an  affection  for  Saul,  and  sincerely 
mourned  that  the  Lord  had  rejected  him. 


CONYERSATION  XXXIII. 

SAMUEL,  SAUL  AND  DAVID.— David  anointed.— The  effect  of  Samuel's  desertion 
on  Saul. — David  and  Goliah. — Their  combat. — Saul's  jealousy  of  David. — David  mar- 
ries the  daughter  of  Saul. — Samuel  dies. — Schools  of  the  prophets. — Saul  calls  up  the 
spirit  of  Samuel. — Death  of  Saul. — Did  Samuel  appear  to  Saul. — Lessons  taught  in 
this  chapter. 

Son. — After  the  rejection  of  Saul,  what  was  Samuel  commis- 
sioned to  do  ? 

Father. — He  was  sent  to  Bethlehem,  to  anoint  David,  the  son 
of  Jesse,  to  be  the  future  king  of  Israel.  David  was  now  about 
seventeen  years  old,  "  ruddy,  of  a  beautiful  countenance,  and 
goodly  to  look  to."  He  had  been  trained  as  a  shepherd,  and  like 
other  shepherds  had  learned  to  play  the  harj),  and  perhaps  other 
instruments. 

*S'. — After  the  anointing  of  David,  it  is  said  that  "  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord  came  upon  him."     What  are  we  to  understand  by  this? 

F. — He  was  from  this  time  endued  with  an  unwonted  spirit  of 
courage  and  valor,  as  well  as  of  faith  and  confidence  in  God.  It 
was  under  the  influence  of  this  spirit  that  he  was  enabled,  while  a 
shepherd,  to  stay  the  lion  and  the  bear,  and  to  rescue  his  flock  from 
between  their  teeth. 

S. — What  was  the  effect  upon  Saul  of  Samuel's  desertion  of 
him  ? 

F. — It  rendered  him  moody  and  melancholy,  soured  his  temper 
and  hardened  his  heart.  In  Scripture  phraseology,  "  the  spirit  of 
the  Lord  departed  from  him,  and  an  evil  spirit  from  God  troubled 
him."  I  would  not  say  that  a  literal  evil  spirit  had  nothing  to  do 
with  the  case  ;  perhaps  it  was  so.  But  whatever  the  cause,  the 
effect  upon  Saul  was  most  unhappy.  His  nervous  system  became 
deranged,  and  he  was  gloomy,  irritable,  turbulent,  untractable.  As 
a  remedy  he  was  advised  to  have  recourse  to  music ;  and  having 
heard  of  David  as  a  skillful  player  on  the  harj),he  sent  and  called  him 
to  stand  before  him.     This  was  David's  first  introduction  at  court, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  267 

and  he  succeeded  with  his  harp  in  soothing  and  cahning  the 
troubled  spirit  of  Sauh 

S. — How  long  did  David  remain  with  Saul  ? 

F. — Probably  not  very  long.  The  Philistines  were  preparing  for 
another  invasion  of  Israel,  and  the  bustle  of  the  occasion  may  have 
had  the  effect  to  relieve  the  mind  of  Saul,  so  that  the  services  of 
David  were  no  longer  needed.  At  any  rate,  he  returned  to  his 
father,  and  was  again  employed  in  caring  for  the  sheep. 

S. — Where  did  the  Philistines  first  show  themselves  in  this  war? 

F. — They  encamped  at  Shochoh,  a  town  nigh  to  Bethlehem. 
Saul  and  his  army  went  out  to  meet  them,  and  encamped  so  near 
that  there  was  but  a  valley  between  them.  David's  three  eldest 
brothers  were  in  the  array  of  Saul,  and  David  was  sent  by  his 
father  to  carry  provisions  to  them,  and  to  inquire  after  their  wel- 
fare. It  was  at  this  time  that  Goliath  presented  himself  for  forty 
successive  days,  challenging  any  one  of  the  Israelites  to  fight  with 
him,  and  defying  the  armies  of  the  living  God.  His  boastings  and 
blasphemy  moved  the  spirit  of  David,  and  he  offered  himself  to  go 
and  fight  the  Philistine.  With  the  story  of  his  victory,  and  the 
consequent  victory  of  the  Israelites  you  are  familiar.  I  need  not 
rei^eat  it. 

S. — What  was  the  effect  of  this  great  achicA^ement  of  David  ? 

F. — It  was  to  bring  David  into  notice  and  honor,  and  to  excite 
the  envy  and  the  hatred  of  Saul.  But  Jonathan  became  attached 
to  David  Avith  a  singular  and  undying  love.  The  women  of  Israel 
sang  his  praises  with  harp  and  tabret,  saying,  "  Saul  hath  slain  his 
thousands,  and  David  his  ten  thousands."  The  effect  of  all  this 
was  to  inflame  the  wrath  of  Saul,  and  from  that  day  forward  he 
sought  the  life  of  David.  Twice  he  undertook  to  kill  hira  with  a 
javelin,  while  David  was  playing  the  harp  before  him.  Repeatedly, 
he  engaged  him  in  close  conflict  with  the  Philistines,  hoping  that 
they  might  take  his  life.  He  charged  Jonathan  and  his  servants  to 
kill  David,  but  they  loved  him  too  well  to  be  guilty  of  his  blood. 
He  gave  his  youngest  daughter  to  David,  thinking  that  she  might 


268  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

be  a  snare  to  him,  but  she  helped  him  to  escape  from  her  father's 
hands. 

S. — How  did  Saul  continue  to  treat  David? 

F. — Having  become  satisfied  that  David  was  the  appointed  of 
God  to  be  his  successor  in  the  kingdom,  the  zeal  and  rage  of  Saul 
were  enkindled  the  more  for  his  destruction.  He  gave  his  officers 
charge  to  take  David,  wherever  they  might  find  him.  He  killed  the 
priests  of  the  Lord  at  Nob,  because  they  had  unwittingly  harbored 
the  fugitive,  and  shown  him  favor.  He  meanly  pursued  his  valiant 
son-in-law  from  one  desert  and  cavern  to  another,  and  hunted  him 
like  a  partridge  on  the  mountains.  In  two  separate  instances, 
during  this  mad  pursuit,  Saul  fell  completely  into  the  hands  of 
David,  so  that  he  might  have  taken  his  life  with  the  utmost  ease ; 
but  he  refused  to  do  it.  Tired,  at  length,  of  this  course  of  life,  and 
despairing  of  safety  so  long  as  Saul  lived,  David  fled  into  the  land 
of  the  Philistines  and  took  refuge  with  the  king  of  Gath. 

*S'. — During  these  commotions,  where  Avas  Samuel,  and  what 
became  of  him? 

F. — He  died  at  his  house  in  Ramah  at  the  age  of  ninety-two. 
He  had  been  a  prophet  in  Israel  eighty  years,  and  a  judge  about 
sixty.  At  the  command  of  God,  he  had  commissioned  one  man  to 
reign  over  Israel,  and  when  this  man  disappointed  him,  at  the  same 
Divine  command,  he  had  anointed  another.  He  had  directed  the 
affairs  of  the  people,  instructed  them  in  the  w\ays  of  the  Lord,  and 
administered  justice  with  an  even  hand.  He  is  supposed  to  have 
revised  and  edited  the  books  of  Moses  and  Joshua.  He  wrote  the 
books  of  Judges  and  Ruth,  and  the  first  book  of  Samuel  up  to  near 
the  time  of  his  death. 

S. — What  more  did  Samuel  do  for  Israel? 

F. — He  set  up  a  new  class  of  institutions  in  Israel,  viz..,  the  Schools 
of  the  Frojjhets.  They  were  established  in  different  places,  as 
Ramah,  Bethel  and  Gilgal,  and  had  some  one  set  over  them  to  be 
their  teacher  and  head.  Here  young  men  studied  the  law  of 
Moses,  and  learned  to  expound  it.     They  were  also  instructed  in 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  269 

sacred  psalmody  and  music.  Here,  too,  by  some  peculiar  exercises, 
chiefly  devotional,  they  prepared  themselves  to  receive  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  whenever  it  should  please  God  to  impart  the  gift.  In 
these  schools  were  written  sacred  biographies,  like  those  of  Nathan 
the  prophet,  and  Gad  the  seer.  In  them  were  trained  up  sacred 
poets  and  singers,  such  as  Asaph,  Heman  and  Jeduthun,  whose 
names  occur  in  the  Psalms.  From  them  were  taken  most  of  the 
prophets,  who  followed  each  other,  in  long  succession,  from  the  days 
of  Samuel  to  those  of  Malachi.  Perhaps  to  no  individual,  after 
Moses  and  Joshua,  were  the  Israelites  so  much  indebted  as  they 
were  to  Samuel ;  and  great  was  the  lamentation  at  his  death.  He 
was  buried  in  his  own  sepulcher  which  he  had  jorepared  at  Ramah. 

S. — Not  long  after  the  death  of  Samuel,  the  Philistines  engaged 
in  another  war  with  Israel.     Where  was  David  at  this  time? 

F. — He  was  still  in  the  country  of  Achish,  king  of  Gath,  and 
Achish  was  minded  to  take  him  and  his  men  with  him  to  the  war, 
to  fight  against  his  own  people,  but  owing  to  the  jealousy  of  the 
other  lords  of  the  Philistines,  this  calamity  was  averted. 

aS'. — How  was  Saul  affected  in  prospect  of  the  coming  war? 

F. — When  he  saw  the  host  of  the  Philistines  he  was  greatly  ter- 
rified ;  and  when  he  inquired  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord  answered  him 
not,  neither  by  dreams,  nor  by  Urim,  nor  by  prophets.  In  his  dis- 
tress he  sought  out  a  woman  that  had  a  familiar  spirit,  though  he 
had  previously  endeavored  to  drive  all  such  characters  out  of  the 
land.  At  his  request,  the  witch  professed  to  bring  up  Samuel,  and 
he  was  permitted  to  have  a  conversation  with  the  old  prophet,  but 
he  derived  no  comfort  from  the  interview.  Samuel  told  him  that 
the  Israelites  would  be  beaten  before  their  enemies,  and  that  him- 
self and  his  sons  would  on  the  morrow  be  slain.  And  all  this  was 
terribly  fulfilled.  The  men  of  Israel  fled  before  the  Philistines, 
and  many  of  them  were  cut  off  in  Mount  Gilboa,  among  whom 
were  the  three  sons  of  Saul.  And  when  Saul  himself  Avas  wounded 
and  found  that  he  could  not  escape,  he  fell  upon  his  sword  and  put 
an  end  to  his  life.     His  body  was  found  the  next  day  by  the  Philis- 


270  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tines,  who  stripped  it,  beheaded  it,  and  hung  up  the  maimed  trunk 
upon  the  wall  of  Bethsan.  It  was  not  suffered,  however,  to  remain 
there.  The  men  of  Jabesh-Gilead,  whom  Saul,  in  the  beginning  of 
his  reign,  had  delivered  from  the  Ammonites,  came  and  took  it 
down.  They  also  recovered  the  bodies  of  his  three  sons,  and  took 
them  all  to  Jabesh,  and  burned  them.  The  bones  they  buried 
under  a  tree,  and  mourned  and  fasted  seven  days. 

>S'.— How  old  was  Saul  at  his  death  ? 

F. — He  died  at  the  age  of  eighty,  in  the  2,948th  year  of  the 
world,  in  the  337th  after  the  exode  from  Egypt,  and  1,056  years 
before  the  coming  of  Christ,  having  reigned  over  Israel  forty  years. 

S. — What  do  you  think  of  Saul's  interview  with  the  witch  of 
Endor  ?  Did  the  soul  of  Samuel  really  appear  to  Saul  ?  Or  was 
it  all  an  imposition,  a  juggle  of  the  witch? 

F. — If  Samuel  was  really  raised,  it  is  generally  understood  that 
the  incantations  of  the  witch  had  nothing  to  do  in  raising  him ; 
that  he  was  raised,  if  raised  at  all,  by  the  power  of  God ;  and  that 
she  was  greatly  surprised  and  terrified  by  the  apparition.  It  is 
admitted  that  this  view  of  the  case  is  more  in  accordance  with  the 
literal  meaning  of  the  sacred  text  than  any  other;  and  yet  very 
serious  objections  are  urged  against  it.  ■  In  the  first  place,  the 
departed  soul  of  Samuel  was  undoubtedly  in  heaven,  whereas  it  is 
here  represented  as  coming  up  from  the  under-world — coming  out 
of  the  earth.  Then,  secondly,  if  God  would  not  answer  Saul,  when 
inquired  of  in  the  appointed  ways, — neither  by  dreams,  nor  by 
Urim,  nor  by  prophets,  how  unlikely  it  is  that  he  would  disquiet  the 
soul  of  Samuel,  and  send  him  back  to  the  earth,  to  bring  a  message 
to  the  terrified  king !  And,  thirdly,  if  God  would  send  Samuel  at 
all  on  such  an  errand,  how  unlikely  that  he  would  do  it  in  connec- 
tion with  a  woman  who  claimed  to  have  a  familiar  spirit,  thus  giving 
countenance  to  a  personage  and  a  practice  which  his  law  condemned ! 

In  view  of  these  reasons,  some  good  men  have  insisted  that  there 
was  nothing  supernatural  in  this  affair  at  all ;  that  the  witch  knew, 
from  the  first,  with  whom  she  had  to  do ;  and  that  she  thoroughly 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  271 

imposed  upon  tlie  affrighted  king.  It  is  not  said  in  the  narrative' 
that  Saul  saw  Samuel,  or  saw  anything  supernatural.  The  witch 
pretended  to  see  him,  and  having  often  seen  and  heard  him  while 
lie  was  alive,  she  was  ahle  to  personate  him  exactly.  She  could  tell 
how  he  looked,  and  mimic  his  speech ;  and  knowing  full  well  the 
state  of  things  in  the  camp  of  Saul  (for  it  was  but  a  little  way  off) 
she  could  predict,  without  much  hazard  of  failure,  the  issue  of  the 
morrow's  battle.  She  could  feign,  too,  all  the  surprise  and  terror 
whicli  the  occasion  required.  And  as  to  the  language  of  the  narra- 
tive, it  may  be  regarded  as  phenomenal,  rather  than  literal, — as 
accommodated  to  existing  appearances,  and  the  prevailing  habits  of 
opinion  and  thought,  rather  than  as  describing  the  real  facts  of  the 
case.  Such  is  the  interpretation  of  this  remarkable  story,  as  given 
by  some  excellent  men.  Whether  it  is  to  be  accepted  or  not,  I 
pretend  not  to  say.  I  will  say,  however,  that,  in  the  general,  it  is 
safer  to  abide  b}^  the  obvious  meaning  of  Scripture,  rather  than  be 
drawn  or  driven  from  it  by  a  2)riori  reasonings  and  difficulties. 

S. — The  lives  of  Samuel  and  Saul  are  highly  instructive.  Please 
hint  at  some  of  the  important  lessons  which  they  teach. 

F. — The  life  of  Samuel  shows  us  the  beauty  and  the  importance 
of  early  piety.  Nothing  can  be  more  interesting  than  his  inter- 
course and  example  in  the  corrupt  family  of  Eli.  The  venerable 
priest,  who  could  have  had  little  comfort  in  his  own  children,  must 
have  rejoiced  exceedingly  in  the  piety  and  promise,  the  dutiful  con- 
duct and  obedience  of  young  Samuel.  And  as  we  trace  the  history 
of  Samuel  from  its  early  beginning  through  his  long  and  eventful 
life, — in  directing  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  in  the  administration  of 
justice,  in  the  setting  apart  of  kings,  in  the  study  and  preparation 
of  the  sacred  books,  in  the  establishment  of  institutions  for  the 
future  benefit  of  his  people,  in  all  his  duties  and  his  trials, — we 
shall  find  that  the  foundation  of  his  high  honors  and  great  useful- 
ness was  laid  in  youth.  It  was  his  youthful  piety  which  prepared 
him  to  be  such  a  blessing  to  his  people,  and  to  the  church  of  God 
throuc^hout  the  world. 


272  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Something  may  be  learned  also  from  the  life  of  Saul.  It  shows 
the  uncertainty  of  hopeful  appearances  where  true  piety  is  want- 
ing, Saul  seems  to  have  been  a  youth  of  high  promise  ;  and  when, 
at  the  age  of  forty,  he  was  exalted  to  the  kingdom,  no  more  suita- 
ble person,  to  appearance,  could  be  found  in  the  land.  But  his 
heart  was  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  soon  the  state  of  his 
heart  began  to  show  itself.  Samuel  learned,  ere  long,  that  he 
could  not  trust  him,  and  that  God  who  had  exalted  him  was  about 
to  reject  him. 

And  this  leads  to  another  remark  :  the  tendency  of  our  proba- 
tion here  on  earth  to  draw  out  the  secrets  of  our  characters.  Had 
Saul  remained  in  private  life,  his  integrity  and  uprightness  might 
never  have  been  suspected.  But  he  was  not  destined  to  private 
life.  His  probation  was  to  be  of  another  kind  ;  and  it  soon  brought 
out  his  real  character.  And  just  so  it  is  with  us.  God  takes  care 
to  try  us  here  on  the  earth  in  a  great  variet}^  of  ways.  He  turns 
us  over  and  over,  places  us  here  and  there,  pursues  one  course  of 
treatment  with  us  and  then  another,  till  our  characters  are  formed 
and  sufficiently  developed,  and  the  purposes  of  our  probation  are 
accomplished;  and  then  it  is  soon  brought  to  a  close.  The  silver 
cord  is  loosed,  the  golden  bowl  is  broken,  and  we  pass  away  to  the 
retributions  of  eternity. 

Indulge  in  one  further  remark  suggested  by  the  case  of  Saul, — 
the  tendency  of  unsanctified  afflictions  to  harden  the  heart.  Some 
persons  regard  afflictions  as  of  a  softening,  subduing  character,  and 
trust  to  the  2^unhhmcnt  of  sin  to  bring  all  sinners  ultimately  to 
repentance.  But  we  see  in  the  case  of  Saul,  as  in  a  thousand 
others,  that  this  trust  is  vain.  During  the  last  half  of  his  reign, 
Saul  had  almost  continual  vexations  and  afflictions, — so  much  so  at 
times  as  to  move  our  pity.  And  what  was  the  consequence  ?  To 
melt  and  humble  him  and  make  him  better?  No;  but  to  harden 
him  and  make  him  worse.  And  so  it  is  in  every  case  of  unsancti- 
fied affliction.  "  Though  thou  bray  a  fool  with  a  pestle  in  a  mortar, 
yet  will  not  his  foolishness  depart  from  him." 


CONVERSATION  XXXIY. 

DAVID  CONCLUDED. — The  psalms  partially  written  during  Saul's  persecution  of 
David. — Tlie  news  of  Saul's  death. — It.s  effect  upon  David. — David's  eulogy  on  Saul  — 
David  made  king. — A  son  of  Saul  also  claims  tlie  kingdom. — David's  reward  to  the  regi- 
cide.— Military  career  of  David. — Hiram  king  of  Tyre. — Their  friendship. — The  ark 
brought  to  Jerusalem. — The  temjile  projected. — David's  sin. — Solomon's  birth. — Singu- 
lar fact. — David's  death. 

Son. — We  heard,  in  our  last  conversation,  of  the  persecutions  of 
David  at  the  hands  of  Saul :  How  long  did  these  persecutions  con- 
tinue ? 

Father. — About  eight  years.  It  was  during  this  period  that  David 
wrote  many  of  his  psalms.  They  grew  out  of  the  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  placed.  Mixed  up  with  complaints  and  imprecations, 
we  find  the  devoutest  aspirations,  and  the  fullest  expressions  of 
faith  and  confidence  in  God.  The  church  had  never  been  favored 
with  these  quickening  songs  but  for  David's  persecutions — an 
instance,  among  many,  in  which  we  find  a  permitted  evil  overruled 
for  a  greater  good. 

aS'. — Where  was  David  at  the  time  of  Saul's  death  ? 

F. — At  Ziklag,  a  town  on  the  borders  of  the  land  of  Israel,  which 
had  been  given  to  him  and  his  followers  by  Achish,  king  of  Gath. 

S. — Who  brought  to  David  the  news  of  Saul's  death? 

F. — It  was  a  fugitive  Amalekite,  who  came  to  him  with  a  lie  in 
his  mouth,  pretending  that  he  had  himself  killed  Saul, — hoping,  no 
doubt,  to  obtain  a  reward  from  David.  And  he  did  obtain  a  fitting 
reward  ;  for  David  ordered  one  of  his  young  men  to  fall  upon  him 
and  kill  him,  because  he  had  slain  the  Lord's  anointed. 

S. — What  notice  did  David  take  of  the  death  of  Saul  ? 

F. — He  wrote  that  tender  and  beautiful  elegy  on  Saul  and  Jona- 
than, which  we  find  recorded  in  2  Sam.  chapter  i. :  "The  beauty  of 
Israel  is  slain  upon  his  high  places :  how  are  the  mighty  fallen  I 
Tell  it  not  in  Gath,  publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of  Askelon ;  lest 
the  daughters  of  the  Philistines  rejoice,  lest  the  daughters  of  the 
uncircumcised  triumph." 


274  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Is  not  this  funeral  elegy  too  eulogistic,  too  liighly  colored,  in 
praise  of  Saul  ? 

F. — Perhaps  not ;  to  be  sure,  during  the  last  half  of  Saul's  reign, 
he  had  treated  David  very  hardly  and  cruelly ;  but  during  the 
whole  forty  years  of  his  administration  he  had  proved  himself  a 
brave  military  chieftain.  He  had  enlarged  and  defended  the  coasts 
of  Israel,  and  his  people  had,  for  the  most  part,  enjoyed  prosperity ; 
and  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  Saul,  he  had  never,  so  far  as  we 
know,  been  guilty  of  idolatry,  but  had  exerted  his  influence  to  root 
it  out  of  the  land. 

S. — Where  did  David  remove,  shortly  after  the  death  of  Saul  ? 

F. — To  Hebron,  a  central  city  in  the  land  of  Judah,  whither  the 
princes  of  Judah  came,  in  a  short  time,  to  make  him  king. 

S. — Who  reigned,  at  the  same  time,  over  the  other  tribes  of 
Israel ? 

F. — Ish-bosheth,  a  son  of  Saul.  Abner,  the  son  of  Ner,  a  cousin 
of  Saul,  was  chief  of  the  forces  of  Ish-bosheth  ;  and  Joab,  the  son  of 
Zeruah,  David's  sister,  had  the  command  of  his  army. 

S. — How  came  Joab  to  be  thus  promoted  ? 

F. — The  fortress  Jebus  had  never  yet  been  taken  from  the 
Jebusites.  It  was  a  stronghold  in  which  they  had  dwelt  from  the 
time  of  Joshua,  and  from  which  they  defied'  the  whole  power  of 
Israel.  And  David  said,  "  Whosoever  first  smiteth  the  Jebusites 
and  subdues  them,  shall  be  chief  and  captain.  So  Joab  the  son  of 
Zeruah  went  first  up,  and  was  chief"  (1  Chron.  xi.  6). 

S. — How  did  the  two  kings  of  Israel  get  on  together  ? 

F. — For  about  two  years,  there  were  no  hostilities  between  David 
and  Ish-bosheth  ;  but  subsequently,  a  war  broke  out,  and  after  sev- 
eral engagements,  David  triumphed.  Following  the  struggle,  Abner 
was  treacherously  slain  by  Joab.  David  was  much  displeased  at 
the  death  of  Abner,  and  took  occasion  to  manifest  his  displeasure  in 
ever}^  possible  way.  He  made  a  public  funeral  for  the  fallen  chief, 
wept  over  him,  and  pronounced  his  eulogy  :  "  Know  ye  not  that  a 
prince  and  a  great  man  has  fallen  in  Israel  to-day  ?  " 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  21  o 

S. — After  the  dep-th  of  Abner,  what  became  of  Ish-bosheth  ? 

F. — Two  of  his  servants  killed  him  in  his  sleep,  cut  off  his  head, 
and  brought  it  to  David,  hoping  to  receive  a  reward.  But  their 
reward  Avas  like  that  of  the  Amalekite  who  pretended  that  he  had 
killed  Saul.  The  king  rebuked  them  severely,  and  then  slew  them. 
He  cut  off  their  hands  and  feet,  and  hung  up  their  maimed  bodies 
in  a  public  place,  to  be  a  terror  to  regicides  in  all  coming  time. 

S. — What  followed  the  death  of  Ish-bosheth  ? 

F. — The  tribes  which  had  followed  him  sent  deputies  to  David 
at  Hebron,  acknowledging  his  title  as  king,  and  pledging  their 
allegiance.  Pie  was  now  proclaimed  king  over  all  Israel,  when  he 
had  reigned  over  Judah  seven  years  and  six  months. 

*S'. — Please  give  us  some  account  of  David's  successes  after  this. 

F. — Being  thus  invested  with  full  regal  power,  and  having  under 
him  a  mighty  army,  David  entered  at  once  upon  the  great  work  of 
his  life  ;  which  was  to  extirpate  the  remains  of  the  original  Canaan- 
ites,  to  enlarge  and  defend  the  borders  of  Israel,  correct  disorders, 
and  root  out  idolatry  from  the  land,  to  establish  the  worship  of  the 
true  God,  and  confirm  his  people  in  it.  He  took  possession  of  the 
stronghold  of  the  Jebusites  which  Joab  had  captured,  and  called  it 
after  his  own  name.  Jerusalem  was  built  up  around  it,  and  became 
the  capital  of  David's  kingdom.  He  engaged  in  repeated  wars  with 
the  Philistines,  and  so  completely  did  he  humble  them,  that  they  gave 
no  more  trouble  to  Israel  for  many  years.  Meanwhile,  Hiram,  king 
of  T3're,  sent  messengers  to  David,  to  congratulate  him  on  his  suc- 
cesses. He  also  sent  him  a  present  of  cedar  trees,  with  carpenters 
and  other  artificers,  to  assist  him  in  preparing  a  place  for  himself. 

S. — "What  did  David  do  meanwhile  for  the  honor  of  religion  and 
of  God? 

F. — He  thought  of  the  ark  of  God,  which  had  been  at  Kirjath- 
jearim  for  more  than  eighty  years,  and  took  measures  for  bringing 
it  into  his  own  city,  Jerusalem.  After  some  delay,  this  was,  with 
great  pomp  and  solemnity,  accomplished.  David  also  thought  of 
building  a  temple  for  the  worship  of  the  God  of  Israel,  but  was  pro- 


276  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

hibited  by  God  from  attempting  it.  The  prohibition,  however,  was 
accompanied  with  assurances,  that  God  accepted  his  good  inten- 
tions, that  his  son  and  successor  should  build  the  temple,  and  that 
his  posterity  should  reign  for  many  generations. 

S. — What  were  the  feelings  of  David,  in  view  of  these  gracious 
assurances  ? 

F. — The  heart  of  the  good  man  was  greatly  affected.  He  went 
into  retirement,  sat  down  before  the  Lord,  and  said :  "  Who  am  I, 
O  Lord  God  !  and  what  is  my  father's  house,  that  thou  has  brought 
me  hitherto  ?  And  even  this  was  a  small  thing  in  thy  sight,  O  Lord 
God  I  but  thou  hast  spoken  also  of  thy  servant's  house  for  a  great 
while  yet  to  come  ;  and  now  what  can  David  say  more  unto  thee  ?  " 

S. — What  new  military  expeditions  did  David  now  undertake  ? 

F. — He  subdued  the  Moabites,  demolished  their  fortifications, 
and  slew  their  men  of  war,  leaving  only  enough  to  cultivate  the 
ground.  From  the  country  of  Moab,  he  marched  his  army  still  far- 
ther east,  to  recover  his  territory  lying  on  the  Euphrates.  The 
Syrians  of  Zobah,  under  the  command  of  Hadadezer,  came  out  with 
a  strong  force  and  gave  him  battle ;  but  he  routed  them,  and  took 
from  them  a  thousand  chariots  and  seven  thousand  horsemen.  The 
Syrians  of  Damascus,  hearing  of  Hadadezer's  ill  success,  came  to  his 
assistance ;  but  David  routed  them  also,  slew  twenty  thousand  of 
their  men,  became  master  of  their  countr}^,  and  laid  them  under 
tribute.  On  his  return  from  Syria,  he  was  met  by  a  great  body  of 
Edomites  to  whom  he  gave  battle.  He  slew  eighteen  thousand  of 
them  in  the  valley  of  Salt,  and  made  them  his  tributaries.  This  was 
David's  most  important  military  expedition.  It  contributed  more 
than  any  other  to  establish  his  authority  at  home,  and  to  make  him 
known  and  respected  abroad.  His  victory  over  the  SjTians  is 
spoken  of  not  only  in  the  Scriptures,  but  by  heathen  writers.* 

S. — After  these  great  victories,  David  thought  to  show  favor  to 
Hanun,  king  of  the  Ammonites.    How  were  his  overtures  received? 

F. — Hanun   and  his  wise    counselors  had  no  faith  in  the  good 

*See  Rankinson's  Evidences,  p.  89. 


y^.tfffj^-- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  279 

intentions  of  David ;  he  had  sent  an  embassy  to  spy  out  the  hind. 
So  they  seized  his  messengers,  treated  them  with  great  indignity, 
and  sent  them  back  to  David.  This  led  to  a  long  and  bloody  war 
between  the  forces  of  David  and  the  Ammonites,  in  which  the 
latter  were  beaten,  their  capital  was  taken,  their  king's  crown  was 
wrested  from  him  and  given  to  David,  and  multitudes  of  the 
Ammonites  were  slain. 

*S'. — What  disgraceful  event  in  the  history  of  David  took  place 
during  this  war  ? 

F. — It  was  during  this  war,  that  David  sinned  and  fell,  in  the 
matter  of  Uriah  (2  Sam.  chap.  xi).  The  manner  in  which  he 
received  Nathan's  pointed  reproof  for  his  sin,  and  in  which  he  hum- 
bled himself  and  made  full  and  public  confession  of  his  guilt,  shows 
that,  though  David  was  not  proof  against  temptation,  his  heart  was 
essentially  right  in  the  sight  of  God.  He  sought  and  obtained  for- 
giveness in  respect  to  the  future  punishment  of  his  sin,  but  from 
its  distressing  temporal  consequences  he  was  not  delivered.  The 
child  of  his  adultery  was  taken  from  him  at  a  stroke  ;  and  then 
followed,  in  quick  succession,  the  rape  of  Tamar,  the  murder  of 
Amnion,  and  the  rebellion  and  consequent  death  of  Absalom,  thus 
verifying  the  denunciations  of  the  prophet,  that  the  judgments  of 
God  should  follow  him,  and  that  the  sword  should  never  depart 
from  his  house. 

S. — When  was  Solomon  born  ? 

F. — In  the  twenty-second  year  of  the  reign  of  David.  He  was 
the  son  of  Bath-sheba,  who  had  been  the  wife  of  Uriah.  David  had 
several  older  sons  ;  but  Solomon  was  the  chosen  of  God,  and  of  his 
father,  to  be  his  successor  in  the  kingdom.  David  had  another  son 
by  Bath-sheba  whom  he  called  Nathan,  after  the  name  of  the 
prophet ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that  from  these  two  sons,  in  different 
lines,  the  parents  of  our  Savior  were  descended.  Joseph,  the 
reputed  father  of  our  Lord,  descended  from  Solomon,  and  Mary, 
his  mother,  from  Nathan.* 

*See  the  Geuealosies  iu  Matthew  and  Luke. 


280  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — What  further  military  expeditions  did  David  undertake  in 
the  latter  part  of  his  reign  ? 

F. — He  had  four  several  engagements  with  the  Philistines,  in 
each  of  which  he  was  victorious.  In  these  battles,  several  of  the 
race  of  the  giants  which  remained  were  put  to  death.  In  com- 
memoration of  these  and  his  preceding  victories,  David  composed 
that  triumphal  song,  beginning :  "  The  Lord  is  my  rock,  my  for- 
tress, my  deliverer,  the  God  of  my  rock  in  whom  I  will  trust " 
(2  Sam.  chap,  xx.,  Ps.  xviii). 

*S'. — What  unwise  measure  did  David  carry  into  effect,  near  the 
close  of  life  ? 

F. — He  became  criminally  anxious  to  know  the  number  of  his 
people,  and  more  especially  of  his  men  of  war.  Accordingly,  he  gave 
orders  to  Joab,  and  to  his  other  high  officers  that  the  people  should 
be  numbered.  Joab  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  his  purpose  ;  but  in 
vain.  Agents  were  therefore  sent  through  all  Israel, — excepting 
the  tribes  of  Levi  and  Benjamin, — and  brought  in  the  number  to  the 
king.  The  numbers  in  Samuel  and  in  the  Chronicles  do  not  agree  ; 
but  the  diff'erence  is  owing,  undoubtedly,  to  different  modes  of  com- 
putation. After  the  numbering  was  finished,  the  king's  heart  smote 
him,  and  the  prophet  Gad  was  sent  to  reprove  him,  for  what  he  had 
done.  The  probability  is  that  it  was  done  from  motives  of  osten- 
tation ;  or  from  a  false  confidence — a  disposition  to  trust  to  the 
multitude  of  his  warriors,  rather  than  to  the  mighty  power  of 
God.  At  any  rate,  David  sinned  in  this  matter,  he  became  sensible 
of  it,  and  his  people  were  sorely  chastised  on  account  of  it.  A 
pestilence  broke  out  among  them  which,  in  a  short  time,  destroyed 
seventy  thousand  men.  As  the  destroyer  drew  nigh  to  Jerusalem, 
the  prophet  Gad  was  sent  to  David  with  the  command,  that  he 
should  purchase  the  threshing  floor  over  which  the  destroying  angel 
stood,  build  an  altar  upon  it,  and  off'er  up  sacrifices  and  peace  offer- 
ings. All  this  was  done  instantly,  and  the  plague  was  stayed.  This 
threshing  floor  was  on  Mount  Moriah, — the  very  spot  on  which  Sol- 
omon was  directed,  a  few  years  later,  to  build  the  temple  of  the  Lord. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  281 

S. — From  this  time  to  his  deatli,  how  was  David  chiefly  em- 
ployed ? 

F. — In  making  preparations  for  the  building  of  the  temple.  "  Sol- 
omon, my  son  "  said  he,  "  is  young  and  tender,  and  the  house  that 
is  to  be  builded  for  the  Lord  must  be  exceeding  magnifical,  of  fame 
and  of  glory  throughout  all  countries,  I  will  now,  therefore,  make 
j)reparation  for  it.    So  David  prepared  abundantly  before  his  death." 

S. — David  had  passed  through  the  rebellion  of  Absalom ;  what 
other  case  of  treachery  was  there  in  his  family,  in  his  last  days  ? 

F. — Adonijah,  the  eldest  of  tlie  king's  living  sons,  born  of  the 
same  mother  as  Absalom,  aspired  to  the  kingdom.  By  some  means, 
he  obtained  Joab  and  Abiathar  the  high  priests  over  to  his  party. 
He  invited  all  the  king's  sons  except  Solomon,  and  most  of  the 
great  men  of  the  kingdom  to  a  sumptuous  entertainment,  where  the 
guests  were  expected,  after  feasting  for  a  while,  to  proclaim  him 
king,  in  place  of  David  his  father.  But  Nathan  the  prophet,  and 
the  mother  of  Solomon,  having  learned  what  was  doing,  went  in 
and  told  the  king.  The  intelligence  aroused  the  enfeebled  mon- 
arch, and  he  commanded  Nathan  the  prophet,  and  Zadok  the  priest, 
with  other  high  officers  and  ministers  of  state,  to  take  Solomon,  and 
put  him  on  his  own  mule ;  to  conduct  him  to  the  fountain  of  Gihon, 
a  little  west  of  Jerusalem,  and  there  to  anoint  and  proclaim  him 
king.  All  this  was  quickly  done,  and  the  people  of  Jerusalem,  by 
their  loud  acclamations,  gave  testimony  of  their  jo}^  at  David's 
choice.  The  noise  was  heard  by  Adonijah  and  his  company,  who 
saw  at  once  that  their  design  was  defeated,  and  that  they  must  shift 
for  themselves  in  the  best  way  they  could.  Adonijah  fled  to  the 
altar  for  safety,  where  he  obtained  from  Solomon  a  promise  of 
pardon,  on  condition  of  his  loyalty,  and  future  good  behavior. 

S. — Was  there  not  a  more  formal  inauguration  of  Solomon  subse- 
quent to  this  ? 

F. — There  was.  David  called  together  the  officers  of  his  army 
and  his  court,  and  made  to  them  a  solemn  oration,  reminding  them 
of  all  God's  goodness  to  him  personally,  assuring    them  that  the 

16 


282  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

succession  of  Solomon  was  by  Divine  appointment,  and  that  it 
would  devolve  on  him  to  build  a  temple  for  the  public  worship  of 
God.  He  gave  to  Solomon  a  plan  of  the  temple,  and  an  account  of 
the  treasures  which  he  had  provided  for  it.  He  called  upon  the 
princes  to  contribute  for  the  same  object ;  and  when  he  saw  their 
readiness  and  their  liberality,  he  concluded  with  a  solemn  thanks- 
giving to  God,  and  an  earnest  prayer  for  Solomon  that  he  might  be 
enabled  to  accomplish  all  that  had  been  enjoined.  The  next  day, 
Solomon  was  anointed  the  second  time.  Zadok  was  constituted 
high  priest,  in  place  of  Abiathar ;  and  Benaiah  was  made  chief 
commander  of  the  army,  in  place  of  Joab.  Shortly  after  this,  the 
good  king  died,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  his  age, — when  he  had 
reigned  forty  years, — seven  years  at  Hebron,  and  thirty-three  at 
Jerusalem.  He  was  buried  with  great  pomp  in  a  tomb  which  he 
had  prepared  for  himself,  in  that  most  strongly  fortified  part  of 
Jerusalem,  which  was  called  emphatically  "the  City  of  David." 

S. — Please  give  us,  in  few  words,  your  estimate  of  the  character 
of  David. 

F. — That  he  was  a  man  of  great  natural  endowments,  and  of  fer- 
vent piety,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  He  was  an  inspired  prophet,  a 
sweet  poet,  a  brave  and  successful  warrior,  and  a  good  king.  His 
songs  have  been  the  delight  of  the  church  for  three  thousand  years, 
and  will  continue  to  be  so  to  the  end  of  time.  Still,  he  did  not 
claim  to  be  a  perfect  man.  He  had  his  foibles  and  his  faults,  of 
which  no  one  was  more  sensible  than  himself.  Falling  in  with  the 
polygamous  practices  of  the  age,  he  could  not  govern  his  house- 
hold as  he  ought,  and  the  consequence  was  that,  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  reign,  his  children  gave  him  much  trouble.  Still,  his  long 
reign  was  an  inestimable  blessing  to  his  country.  He  vanquished  the 
enemies  of  Israel  on  every  side.  He  extended  his  dominions  from 
the  Euphrates  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  from  Damascus  to  Egypt. 
He  rooted  out  idolatry  from  among  the  people,  established  on  a  firm 
basis  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  and  thus  prepared  the  way  for  the 
splendid  and  prosperous  reign  of  his  son  and  successor,  Solomon. 


CONVERSATION  XXXV. 

THE  REIGN  OF  SOLOMON  —His  age  on  ascending  the  throne.— His  character.— 
Solomon's  marriage  to  King  Pharaoh's  daughter. — The  great  event  of  Solomon's  reign. 
— The  temple.— Its  dedication  — Visit  of  Queen  of  Sheba. — Solomon's  fall  into  sin. — 
Evidence  of  his  repentance. — His  children. — Lessons  taught  by  the  life  of  Solomon. 

Son. — How  old  was  Solomon  when  he  came  to  the  throne  ? 

Father. — Eighteen  years;  and  he  reigned  over  all  Israel  forty 
years. 

S. — What  was  the  character  of  Solomon  ? 

F. — In  the  very  beginning  of  his  reign,  it  is  said  of  him  that  "he 
loved  the  Lord  exceedingl}-,  and  walked  in  the  statutes  of  David 
his  father."  Soon  after  his  accession,  he  went  to  Gibeon,  a  few 
miles  from  Jerusalem,  where  were  the  tabernacle  and  the  altar 
which  Moses  prepared  in  the  wilderness,  and  here  he  offered,  in 
sacrifice,  a  thousand  burnt  offerings.  It  was  here  that  the  Lord 
appeared  to  him,  and,  in  answer  to  his  own  request,  promised  to 
give  him  Avisdom  and  an  understanding  heart.  He  also  promised  to 
bestow  upon  him  riches  and  honor,  beyond  that  of  any  of  the  kings 
of  the  earth. 

S. — What  were  among  the  first  acts  of  Solomon's  reign  ? 

F. — He  put  out  of  the  way  several  persons  whom  he  thought 
dangerous  to  his  government.  Adonijah,  who  was  suspected  of 
plotting  another  insurrection,  and  Joab,  who  was  known  to  favor 
him,  were  put  to  death.  It  may  seem  hard  that  Joab,  the  hero  of 
so  many  battles  fought  in  the  service  of  his  father  David,  should 
thus  fall  at  the  command  of  his  son  ;  but  it  must  be  remembered 
that  Joab's  treatment  of  David,  on  several  occasions,  was  anything 
but  respectful ;  that  he  had  treacherously  murdered,  in  cold  blood, 
Abner  and  Amasa,  two  men  whom  David  considered  better  than 
himself;  that  he  was  naturally  cruel,  imperious,  revengeful,  and 
ready  for  any  conspiracy  against  Solomon  in  favor  of  Adonijah ; 
and  especially  that  David  had  signified  his  pleasure  that  the  hoary 
head  of  Joab  should  not  go  down  to  the  grave  in  peace. 


284  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — To  whom  was  Solomon  early  married? 

F. — To  a  daughter  of  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt;  and  she,  it  is 
generally  supposed,  became  a  proselyte  to  the  Jew's  religion.  At 
any  rate,  we  never  hear  of  her  as  exerting  any  influence  in  favor  of 
idolatry.  This  is  the  first  that  we  hear  of  any  connection  of  the 
Israelites  with  Egypt,  after  their  escape  from  bondage. 

iS. — What  was  the  great  event  of  Solomon's  reign  ? 

F. — The  building  of  the  temple,  and  the  ordering  and  establish- 
ing of  the  temple  worship.  Next  to  this  in  importance  was  the 
building  of  a  palace  for  himself,  and  another  for  his  Egyptian  wife. 
In  all  these  great  works,  he  was  essentially  aided,  both  in  materials 
and  artificers,  by  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre.  These  events  are  distinctly 
referred  to,  not  only  in  the  Scriptures  and  in  Josephus,  but  by  the 
historians  of  ancient  Tyre. 

S. — In  what  year  did  Solomon  commence  building  the  temple? 

F. — In  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign  ;  but  it  was  not  finished  until 
the  eleventh  year.  The  temple  itself  was  not  a  very  large  struct- 
ure ;  but  the  numerous  courts  and  offices  round  about  it  constituted 
a  vast  pile.  And  when  we  consider  the  exquisite  art,  as  well  as 
strength  with  which  the  whole  was  finished,  we  are  led  to  wonder 
that  it  could  have  been  perfected  in  so  short  a  period. 

S. — What  great  occasion  followed  the  building  of  the  temple  ? 

F. — Its  dedication, — when  the  ark  of  the  covenant  was  removed 
from  the  city  of  David,  and  deposited  in  the  most  holy  place  pre- 
pared for  it  in  the  temple.  We  have  a  full  account  of  it,  also  of 
Solomon's  prayer  of  dedication,  of  the  sacrifices  which  he  offered, 
and  of  the  feast  which  he  made  for  all  the  people,  in  1  Kings,  Chap. 
viii.  At  the  close  of  this  solemn  service,  God  appeared  unto  Solo- 
mon a  second  time,  told  him  that  his  offerings  were  accepted,  and 
gave  him  assurances  of  continued  favor,  both  to  himself  and  his 
posterity,  but  07ily  on  the  condition  that  he  and  they  adhered  faith- 
fully to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  "  If  you  shall  turn  at  all  from 
following  me,  you  or  your  children,  and  shall  go  and  serve  other 
^bds.  thei!  ""J^il^  T  nut  off  Israel  out  of  the  land  which  I  have  given 


CONVFAiSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  285 

them,  and  this  house  whicli  I  have  hallowed  for  iny  name  will  I  cast 
out  of  my  sight,  and  Israel  shall  be  a  proverb  and  a  by-word  among 
all  people." 

S. — What  other  buildings  did  Solomon  erect,  besides  his  palace 
and  tlie  temple  ? 

F. — He  built  "the  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon,"  where  he 
frequently  resided.  He  built  also  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  and  an 
armory,  and  a  senate-house  called  Millo.  He  repaired  and  fortified 
Hazor,  Megiddo,  the  two  Beth-horons,  Baalath  or  Baalbek,  Tadmor 
in  the  desert,  and  Gezer,  a  city  which  the  king  of  Egypt  had  given 
him  in  dowry  with  his  daughter. 

S. — What  other  engagements  in  business  had  Solomon  ? 

F. — He  engaged  extensively  in  navigation.  He  had  two  ports 
on  the  Elanitic  gulf  of  the  Red  sea,  where  he  provided  a  navy,  and 
where — in  connection  with  his  friend  Hiram — he  engfao^ed  exten- 
sively  in  navigation.  He  had  also  his  ships  of  Tarshish  on  the 
Mediterranean  sea.  One  of  his  fleets  brought  home  no  less  than 
four  hundred  and  twenty  talents  of  gold,  besides  various  other  com- 
modities and  curiosities  of  great  value.  In  short,  Solomon  soon 
came  to  be  one  of  the  richest  and  most  powerful  princes  then  on 
the  earth.  His  annual  revenue  was  six  hundred  and  sixty-six  tal- 
ents of  gold,  besides  the  tribute  which  he  received  from  subject  kings. 
His  furniture  and  ornaments  were  all  of  gold ;  silver  being  little 
accounted  of  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  Presents  of  the  greatest 
value  Avere  sent  to  him  from  different  quarters,  and  to  see  his  face 
and  hear  his  wisdom  was  the  prevailing  desire  of  the  great  men  of 
the  age. 

S. — What  distinguished  personage  came  to  visit  him  from  Arabia  ? 

F. — The  Queen  of  Sheba.  She  came  with  rich  presents,  and  to 
test  his  wisdom  with  hard  questions.  But  Solomon  answered  all 
her  questions ;  and  when  she  saw  the  magnificence  and  splendor  in 
which  he  lived,  she  went  away  astonished  and  confounded,  saying 
that,  though  the  fame  of  him  of  which  she  had  heard  was  very 
great,  the  half  had  not  been  told  her. 


286  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — To  what  other  pursuits  did  Solomon  give  attention  ? 

F. — He  devoted  much  time  to  ethical  and  philosophical  inquiries. 
He  wrote  three  thousand  proverbs,  and  his  songs  were  a  thousand 
and  five.  He  knew  the  virtue  of  all  plants  and  trees,  from  the  lofty 
cedar  of  Lebanon,  to  the  lowly  hyssop  that  springe th  out  of  the  wall. 
He  treated  also  of  beasts,  of  fowl,  of  creeping  things,  and  of  fishes. 

S. — Solomon's  situation  must  have  been  one  of  great  temptation  ; 
how  did  he  bear  it  ? 

F. — I  am  sorry  to  say  that,  for  a  time,  his  temptations  overcame 
him.  In  conformity  with  the  customs  of  oriental  monarchs,  he  must 
surround  himself,  not  only  with  all  other  forms  of  pageantry,  but 
with  a  harem  of  outlandish  women  ;  and  these,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, drew  away  his  heart.  He  took  wives  from  among  the 
Moabites,  the  Hittites,  the  Edomites,  and  the  Zidonians  ;  and  to 
show  his  liberality,  he  built  high  places  for  tliem  in  Jerusalem,  and 
countenanced  them  in  their  idolatries.  Wherefore  the  Lord  was 
angry  with  him,  and  sent  a  prophet  to  reprove  him,  and  to  de- 
nounce impending  judgments.  The  Lord  also  stirred  up  adversa- 
ries against  him, — the  kings  of  Edom,  and  Damascus,  and  more 
especially  Jeroboam,  one  of  his  own  servants.  Jeroboam  had  been 
designated  by  Abijah  the  prophet,  as  the  man  who,  in  future,  should 
reign  over  ten  of  the  tribes  of  Israel.  Having  on  this  account,  as 
well  as  others,  excited  the  suspicion  of  Solomon,  he  fled  for  protec- 
tion to  Shislak,  the  new  king  of  Egypt,  where  he  continued  till 
Solomon's  death. 

S. — At  what  time  did  Solomon  begin  to  countenance  idolatry  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know  precisely.  The  sacred  writer  tells  us  that 
"  when  he  was  oZc?,  his  wives  turned  away  his  heart "  (1  Kings  xi. 
4)  ;  and  as  he  died  at  fifty-eight,  his  defection  could  not  have  been 
very  long  before  his  death. 

S. — What  evidence  have  Ave  that  Solomon  ever  repented  and  was 
restored  to  the  Divine  favor  ? 

F. — The  book  of  Ecclesiastes  was  written  by  him,  and  written 
late  in  life  ;  and  it   furnishes   abundant   evidence  of  his  ultimate 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  287 

repentance  and  restoration.  This  book  is  mainly  a  record  of  his 
thoughts  and  feelings  at  different  periods — of  the  working  of  his 
great  mind  and  heart  in  the  varied  circumstances  of  life,  and  more 
especially  during  the  melancholy  period  of  his  defection  ;  and  it 
comes  out  nobly  at  the  close, — shoAving  that  Solomon  had  learned, 
in  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter,  that  "  to  fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments  is  the  whole  duty  of  man." 

aS'. — How  many  children  had  Solomon  ? 

F. — Although  he  had  so  many  wives,  the  Scriptures  make  mention 
of  but  three  children,  one  son  and  two  daughters  (1  Kings  iv.  11, 15). 
He  died,  as  I  have  said,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight,  having  reigned 
forty  years.     He  was  buried  near  his  father,  in  the  city  of  David. 

S. — The  life  of  Solomon  is  one  of  great  interest  and  instruction. 
Please  notice  some  of  the  lessons  of  it, 

F. — We  learn  from  it,  first  of  all,  the  danger  of  loving  and  pur- 
suing the  world.  This  was  that  which  overcame  Solomon.  As  a 
philosopher,  he  was  in  search  of  the  summum  bonum,  the  chief  good 
of  man.  In  what  does  this  consist  ?  Does  it  consist  in  worldly 
gratification  ?  He  had  every  means  of  gratification  in  his  power, 
and  he  resolved  to  plunge  into  it,  and  make  the  experiment.  He 
did  so  ;  and  the  experiment  well  nigh  ruined  him.  He  came  out 
of  it,  oft  repeating  the  exclamation,  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is 
vanity  !    I  found  it  all  to  be  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit." 

We  learn  from  the  case  of  Solomon,  that  at  no  period  of  life,  so 
long  as  probation  lasts,  are  we  out  of  danger.  It  might  be  thought 
that  Solomon,  iu  his  old  nge,  when  surrounded  with  so  many  induce- 
ments to  persevere,  could  hardly  be  in  danger  of  falling.  And  yet 
he  did  fall.  He  fell  foully  and  shamefully,  though  we  think  not 
finally.  Let  those  in  years,  as  well  as  in  youth,  learn  a  lesson  from 
him.     "  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he  fall." 

Let  those  who  have  wandered  away  from  God  do  as  Solomon 
did — review  their  past  lives,  repent  of  their  sins,  and  learn,  with  the 
wise  king  of  Israel,  that  to  "  fear  God  and  keep  his  commandments 
is  the  whole  duty  of  man." 


CONVERSATION"  XXXYI. 

KINGS  OF  JUDAH  AND  ISRAEL.— The  division  of  the  kingdom.— Judah  and  Benja- 
min loyal. — Idolatry  of  the  ten  tribes. — Invasion  by  the  Egyptians. — Terrible  slaughter. 
— Half  a  million  slain. — Elijah  the  prophet. — Elisha  his  successor. — The  remarkable  let- 
ter from  Elijah. — Death  of  Jezebel. — Jonah  and  Hosea  the  prophets. — Pul,  king  of 
Nineveh. — Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  carries  the  Israelites  into  captivity. — Origin  of 
the  Samaritans. 

Son. — What  led  to  the  division  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  after  the 
death  of  Solomon  ? 

Father. — When  Solomon  was  dead,  Rehoboam  his  son  went  to 
Shechem,  in  mount  Ephraim,  where  the  elders  of  the  people  were 
assembled  to  make  him  king  ;  but  as  the  nation  had  been  burthened 
with  heavy  exactions  during  some  part  of  his  father's  reign,  before 
they  would  consent  to  crown  his  son,  they  desired  a  redress  of 
grievances.  His  father's  wise  counselors  advised  Rehoboam  to 
satisfy  them  in  this  respect ;  but  influenced  by  his  boon  compan- 
ions, and  carried  headlong  by  his  own  stupidity  and  foll}^,  he 
refused.  He  even  threatened  them  with  increased  impositions  ;  and 
tliis  so  disgusted  the  people,  that  they  threw  off  their  allegiance,  and 
declared  for  another  king.  When  Rehoboam  saw  what  was  done, 
he  tried  to  pacify  them,  but  in  vain.  He  was  obliged  to  consult  his 
own  safety  by  flight,  and  hastened  back  to  Jerusalem.  He  secured 
to  himself  the  two  tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin ;  while  the  other 
ten  tribes, — occupying  the  larger  and  more  fertile  part  of  the  coun- 
try,— seceded,  and  made  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat  their  king. 
Thus  was  this  great  and  goodly  kingdom  broken  into  two  parts,  and 
so  continued  to  the  time  of  its  dissolution. 

^S'. — How  old  was  Rehoboam,  when  he  began  to  reign  ? 

F. — He  was  forty-one  years,  and  consequently  was  born  one  3'^ear 
before  David's  death.  To  revenge  the  insult  put  upon  him,  he  col- 
lected a  vast  army,  with  the  intent  to  make  war  upon  Jeroboam  ;  but 
at  the  instance  of  the  prophet  Shemaiah,  he  changed  his  purpose, 
disbanded  his  army,  and  proceeded  to  garrison  his  dominions. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  289 

aS'. — Meanwhile,  what  was  Jeroboam  domg? 

F. — He  was  not  idle.  He  enlarged,  beautified,  and  fortified 
Shechem,  and  made  it  his  capital.  He  had  more  solicitude  about 
the  religion  of  his  people  than  anything  else,  foreseeing  that,  if 
they  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  they  would  inevitably  return 
to  the  house  of  David.  Consequently  he  resolved  on  a  bold  inno- 
vation. He  set  up  two  golden  calves,  with  their  altars,  after  the 
manner  of  Egypt, — jilacing  one  of  them  at  Bethel,  and  the  other  at 
Dan ;  and  as  the  regular  priests  would  not  patronize  his  idolatry,  he 
banished  them  from  his  kingdom  and  made  him  priests  of  the  low- 
est of  the  people.  In  consequence  of  these  measures,  the  priests  and 
Levites  generally  went  over  to  Rehoboam,  and  were  followed  by  as 
man}^  of  the  people  as  had  any  true  regard  for  the  God  of  Israel. 
God  sent  prophets  to  Jeroboam  to  reprove  him  ;  but  neither  warn- 
ings, nor  miracles,  nor  inflicted  judgments  had  any  good  effect.  He 
persisted  in  his  idolatrous  practices,  and  bequeathed  them  to  his 
successors  for  many  generations. 

S. — Did  Rehoboam  adhere  to  the  religion  of  his  fathers  ? 

F. — Not  long.  For  two  or  three  years  he  kept  up  the  worship  of 
God  at  Jerusalem  ;  after  which,  he  and  many  of  his  people  relapsed 
into  the  idolatries  and  filthy  practices  of  the  heathen.  They  set  up 
groves  and  images  upon  every  high  hill,  and  under  every  green 
tree,  and  perpetrated  the  same  abominations  for  which  the  Canaan- 
ites  had  been  destroyed.  Under  all  these  provocations,  God  sent 
against  them  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt.  He  came  up  with  a  pow^er- 
ful  army,  ravaged  the  country,  took  most  of  the  fortified  places,  and 
carried  away  the  shields  of  gold  which  Solomon  had  made.  So  soon 
were  the  vast  treasures  of  Solomon  dispersed,  and  his  son  and  suc- 
cessor was  left  in  poverty  and  infamy.* 

*S'. — How  long  did  Rehoboam  reign  ? 

F. — After  Shishak's  invasion,  he  reigned  twelve  years — seventeen 


*Receut  discoveries  afford  a  striking  confirmation  of  tliis  part  of  the  sacred  history.  The 
tomb  of  Shishak  has  been  opened,  and  among  the  kings  he  had  conquered  is  distinctly 
mentioned  the  king  of  tlie  Jews.     Eawliuson,  p.  109. 


290  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

in  all — and  died  at  fifty-eight — the  same  age  with  his  father.  He 
was  a  prince  of  small  abilities,  and  a  bad  disposition.  He  seems  to 
have  been  a  spoiled  child  from  his  youth.  It  is  presumed  that  Solo- 
mon entertained  no  high  hopes  respecting  him ;  for  he  says,  in  a 
tone  of  deep  despondency,  "  I  hated  all  my  labor  which  I  had  taken 
under  the  sun,  because  I  was  to  leave  it  to  a  man  that  should  come 
after  me  ;  and  who  knoweth  whether  he  shall  be  a  wise  man  or  a 
fool"  (Ecc.  ii.  18,  19).  Rehoboam  left  many  children,  but  ap- 
pointed Abijam,  the  eldest,  to  succeed  him. 

*S'. — What  can  you  say  of  Abijam's  reign? 

F. — He  may  have  been  forty  years  old  when  he  began  to  reign, 
and  his  reign  continued  less  than  three  years.  He  was  a  brave, 
warlike  prince.  He  got  together  an  army  of  four  hundred  thou- 
sand men  to  fight  against  Jeroboam ;  and  although  Jeroboam's 
army  was  twice  as  large,  Abijam  resolved  to  give  him  battle.  But 
he  first  made  a  long  and  eloquent  appeal  to  the  army  of  Jeroboam 
(see  2  Chron.  viii.  5-12).  In  this  contest,  Abijam  was  victorious, 
and  Jeroboam  lost  five  hundred  thousand  of  his  men — a  terrible 
slaughter,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  recovered. 

S. — Who  succeeded  Abijam  ? 

F. — His  son  Asa,  who  may  have  been  twenty  years  old  when  he 
began  to  reign,  and  whose  reign  continued  forty-one  years.  For 
the  first  ten  years,  the  kingdom  of  Judah  was  at  peace,  a  period 
which  Asa  wisely  employed  in  correcting  abuses,  destroying  idola- 
trous groves  and  images,  and  in  bringing  back  his  people  to  the  ser- 
vice of  the  true  God.  He  also  fortified  his  frontier  towns,  and 
prepared  and  trained  a  prodigious  array  to  be  in  readiness  in  case 
of  necessity.  Nor  was  the  necessity  long  in  coming ;  for  Zerah,  the 
Ethiopian,  who  reigned  in  south-western  Arabia,  invaded  Judah  with 
a  vast  army.  But  he  was  defeated  by  Asa,  with  a  much  inferior  force. 
Almost  in  the  beginning  of  the  battle,  the  Lord  struck  the  Arabians 
with  such  a  panic,  that  they  fled,  and  trampled  down  each  other. 
Asa  pursued  after  them,  took  the  spoil  of  their  camp,  carried  away 
their  cattle,  smote  their  cities,  and  returned  in  triumph  to  Jerusalem. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  291 

S. — How  was  it  with  the  other  kingdom  all  this  while  ? 

F. — Jeroboam  was  now  dead,  and  so  also  was  his  wicked  son  and 
successor  Nadab ;  for  when  Nadab  had  reigned  less  than  two  years, 
Baasha,  the  captain  of  his  forces,  conspired  against  him  and  slew 
him,  and  reigned  in  his  stead. 

Perceiving  that  people  were  continually  leaving  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  and  going  over  to  Judah,  Baasha  took  measures  to  prevent 
further  emigration.  He  commenced  fortifying  Ramah,  a  border 
town,  only  six  miles  from  Jerusalem,  so  as  to  cut  off  all  communi- 
cation between  the  two  kingdoms.  When  Asa  saw  this,  he  sent 
messengers  to  Benhadad,  king  of  Syria,  that  he  might  hire  him  to 
invade  Baasha  on  the  north,  and  thus  divert  him  from  his  purpose 
at  Ramah.  The  plan  was  successful.  Baasha  was  constrained  to 
depart  from  Ramah,  and  Asa  came  and  carried  away  his  materials 
into  his  own  country. 

But  Asa  sinned  in  this  matter,  and  a  prophet  of  God  was  sent  to 
reprove  him,  because  he  had  put  his  trust  in  man,  and  not  in  the 
Lord.  Nor  did  Asa  receive  the  reproof  with  submission  and  peni- 
tence. On  the  contrary,  he  was  fretted  with  it,  and  put  the  prophet 
in  chains.  From  this  time  forward,  king  Asa  became  petulant  and 
unhappy.  He  had  a  distressing  disease  in  his  feet,  which  may 
account,  in  part,  for  his  peevishness  and  ill-humor.  Xevertheless, 
he  is  remembered  as  one  of  Judah's  best  and  most  prosperous  kings. 

*S'. — What  other  kings  reigned  over  Israel,  during  the  long  reign 
of  Asa? 

F. — In  this  time,  Israel  was  cursed  with  no  less  than  five  wicked 
kings.  Following  Baasha,  were  Elah,  Zimri,  Tibni,  Omri,  and 
Ahab.  Omri  founded  the  city  of  Samaria,  which  was  afterwards 
the  capital  of  the  kingdom.  Ahab  was  the  most  profligate  and 
wicked  of  all  the  kings  of  Israel ;  for  he  not  only  continued  the 
worship  of  the  calves,  but  having  married  Jezebel,  daughter  of  the 
king  of  Tyre,  he  introduced  into  Israel  the  worship  of  Baal.  He 
built  a  temple  for  Baal  in  the  new  city  of  Samaria,  and  set  up  an 
altar  and  a  grove,  where  all  sorts  of  impurities  were  practiced.     He 


292  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


was  the  first  to  set  an  example  of  persecution  in  Israel,  by  slaying 
the  prophets  of  the  Lord. 

S. — What  great  prophet  was  sent  to  reprove  Ahab  for  his 
wickedness  ? 

F. — Elijah  the  Tishbite — one  of  the  most  renowned  of  the 
ancient  prophets — armed  with  miracles  of  both  mercy  and  judg- 
ment  who,  when  his  work  on  earth  was  finished,  was  translated 

visibly  to  heaven.  During  the  reign  of  Ahab,  there  was  a  drought 
and  a  famine  in  Israel  of  more  than  three  years'  continuance,  which 
was  finally  removed  at  the  intercession  of  Elijah. 

.S'.— In  the  early  part  of  Ahab's  reign,  Asa,  king  of  Judah,  died. 
Who  succeeded  him  ? 

F. — His  son  Jehoshaphat,  who,  in  all  acts  of  piety  and  religion, 
imitated,  if  not  exceeded,  the  doings  of  his  father.  He  was  thirty- 
five  years  old  Avhen  he  began  to  reign,  and  he  reigned  twenty-five 
years  in  Jerusalem.  He  sent  priests  and  Levites  into  all  the  cities 
of  Judea,  to  read  and  expound  the  law  of  God.  In  consequence  of 
his  fidelity,  God  blessed  Jehoshaphat  with  riches  and  honors.  His 
people  loved  him,  and  his  enemies  submitted  themselves  unto  him 
and  gave  gifts.  The  great  fault  of  his  administration  was,  that  he 
married  his  son  and  successor  Jehoram  to  a  daughter  of  Ahab. 
This  alliance  was  offensive  to  God,  and  it  involved  him  and  his 
family  in  many  troubles. 

S. — In  what  business  enterprise  did  Jehoshaphat  engage  ? 

F. — Like  his  ancestor  Solomon,  he  engaged  in  commerce  from 
the  ports  of  the  Red  sea.  In  his  first  attempts  he  was  unsuccessful, 
on  account  of  his  partnership  with  Ahab  ;  but  afterwards,  when 
freed  from  this  damaging  alliance,  he  had  better  success.  On  the 
whole,  Jehoshaphat  was  a  good  king.  He  was  greatly  honored  and 
respected  while  he  lived,  and  deeply  lamented  at  his  death. 

8. — Who  succeeded  Ahab  on  the  throne  of  Israel? 

F. — His  wicked  son,  Ahaziah  ;  but  his  reign  was  inglorious  and 
short,  having  lasted  scarcely  two  years.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Jehoram,  another  son  of  Ahab,  who  commenced  his  reign  in  the 


CONVERSATIOXS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  293 

eighteenth  year  of  Jchoshaphat,  and  continued  it  twelve  years. 
He  put  an  end,  for  a  time,  to  the  worship  of  Baal,  but  persisted  in 
the  worship  of  the  calves.  It  was  during  his  reign,  that  the 
prophet  Elisha  made  his  appearance  in  Israel.  He  came  in  the 
spirit  and  poAver  of  Elijah,  and,  like  him,  performed  many  miracles. 
He  saved  the  lives  of  three  kings  and  their  armies,  who  were  cross- 
ing the  desert  to  attack  the  Moabites,  and  were  on  the  point  of 
perishing  with  thirst.  In  answer  to  Elisha's  prayer,  a  supply  of 
water  was  furnished,  and  a  victory  gained.  At  a  later  period  in 
the  reign  of  Jehoram,  Samaria  was  besieged  by  the  king  of  Syria, 
until  "  an  ass's  head  was  sold  for  four-score  pieces  of  silver,  and 
the  fourth  part  of  a  cab  of  dove's  dung  for  five  pieces  of  silver." 
But  by  a  miraculous  interposition,  at  the  word  of  Elisha,  the  siege 
was  suddenly  raised,  the  affrighted  Syrians  fled,  and  from  the 
spoils  of  their  camp  the  starved  cit}^  was  abundantly  supplied. 

S. — Who  succeeded  Jehoshaphat  on  the  throne  of  Judah? 

F. — His  son  Jehoram.  So  that  there  were  now  two  Jehorams 
reigning  together, — one  over  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  and  the  other 
over  Israel.  One  of  them  Avas  a  son,  and  the  other  a  son-in-hiAv,  of 
Ahab  and  Jezebel ;  and  both  walked  in  the  steps  of  those  guilty 
corrupters  of  Gk)d's  people.  Jehoram  of  Judah  began  his  reign  by 
destroying  all  his  brothers,  the  sons  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  with  them 
many  of  the  chief  rulers  of.  the  kingdom.  He  received  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  w^arnings  of  which  we  have  any  account  in  the 
Bible — a  letter  of  denunciation  and  reproof  from  Elijah  the  prophet, 
wdio,  several  years  before,  had  been  translated  from  earth  to  heaven. 
Whether  the  letter  was  sent  directly  from  heaven,  or  whether 
the  old  prophet,  foreseeing  what  w^as  to  take  place,  prepared  it 
and  left  it  behind  him,  I  pretend  not  to  say.  However,  it 
had  no  good  effect  upon  the  guilty  Jehoram.  He  persisted  in  his 
wicked  courses,  and  w^as  visited  wdth  crushing  judgments.  His 
tributaries  revolted  from  him,  the  Philistines  and  Arabians  in- 
vaded his  territories,  and  carried  away  his  wives  and  children, 
and  to  crown  all,  he  was  seized  with  an  incurable  disease  of  the 


294  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


bowels,  under   which  he    sank,  after  an  inglorious  reign  of  eight 
years. 

^S'. — By  whom  was  Jehoram  of  Judah  succeeded? 

F. — By  his  youngest  son  Ahaziah, — sometimes  called  Jehoahaz 
(see  2  Chron.  xxi.  17).  He  was  the  son  of  Athaliah,  the  wicked 
daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  being  entirely  under  his 
mother's  influence,  his  short  reign  was  one  of  idolatry  and  sin. 
He  ascended  the  throne  at  the  age  of  twenty-two.*  Both  he,  and 
his  uncle  Jehoram  of  Israel,  were  slain  on  the  same  day,  by  Jehu 
the  son  of  Nimshi. 

;S'. — Under  what  circumstances  were  these  two  kings  slain? 

F. — In  his  wars  with  the  Syrians,  Jehoram,  assisted  by  Ahaziah, 
had  laid  siege  to  Ramoth-gilead,  which  he  claimed  as  belonging  to 
himself.  Here  he  was  wounded,  and  retired  to  Jezreel  to  be  healed 
of  his  wounds,  leaving  his  army,  under  the  command  of  Jehu,  to  carry 
on  the  siege.  Ahaziah,  too,  had  left  Ramoth,  and  gone  to  Jezreel  to 
visit  Jehoram.  While  the  two  kings  were  absent  from  Ramoth, 
Elisha  directs  one  of  his  prophets  to  go  there,  and  anoint  Jehu  king 
over  Israel.  The  prophet  goes  in  the  most  quiet  way  possible,  and 
executes  his  commission.  But  no  sooner  is  it  known  that  Jehu  has 
been  anointed,  than  the  army  arises  at  once,  and  pro(?laims  him  king. 
Whereupon,  being  surrounded  by  a  company  of  valiant  men  Jehu 
rides  post-haste  from  Ramoth  to  Jezreel,  and  kills  both  Jehoram  and 
Ahaziah,  and  causes  the  death  of  old  Jezreel  herself.  Next  he 
writes  letters  to  Samaria,  about  twenty  miles  distant,  and  orders 
that  the  heads  of  seventy  of  the  royal  family  of  the  house  of  Ahab 
should  be  brought  to  him.  He  then  slew  all  that  remained  of  this 
wicked  family  in  Jezreel,  with  their  kinsfolk  and  their  idolatrous 
priests,  until  he  left  none  remaining.  Jehu  now  gets  into  his 
chariot  to  go  to  Samaria.  On  his  way,  lie  meets  more  than  forty  of 
the  royal  house  of  Judah, — all  of  them  connected  with  the  family  of 
Ahab, — going  up  to  Samaria  to  visit  their  cousins.     These,  too,  he 


*He  is  said  to  have  been  forty-two,   in  2    Chron.  xxii.   2,   a  manifest  error  of  some 

transcriber. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  295 

destroys,  and  then  presses  on  to  the  capital,  where  he  kills  all  that 
remains  of  Ahab,  according  to  the  word  of  the  prophet  Elijah. 
Next,  he  draws  together  all  the  joriests  and  worshipers  of  Baal  to 
Samaria,  under  pretense  of  a  great  festival,  where  he  falls  upon 
them  and  destroys  them  all.  And  thus  was  the  worship  of  Baal, 
which  Ahab  and  Jezebel  had  done  so  much  to  promote,  effectually 
put  down  in  Israel,  to  be  revived  no  more. 

S. — Of  course,  Jehu  noAv  came  to  the  throne  of  Israel ;  what  was 
the  character  of  his  reign  ? 

F. — Though  he  commenced  with  a  fiery  zeal  against  idolatry,  he 
did  not  carry  it  consistently  through.  He  continued  the  worship  of 
the  golden  calves,  and  bequeathed  the  same  to  his  successors. 

S. — Athaliah,  the  queen-mother,  was  still  alive  at  Jerusalem. 
What  did  she  do  ? 

F. — When  she  heard  what  Jehu  had  done,  she  undertook  to 
destroy  all  the  seed-royal  of  David,  and  take  the  government  into 
her  own  hands  ;  and  she  well  nigh  succeeded  in  the  attempt.  No 
one  was  spared  but  Joash,  an  infant  son  of  the  late  king.  He  was 
secreted  by  an  aunt,  the  wife  of  Jehoiada  the  high  priest,  and  was 
kept  concealed  in  the  temple  for  the  next  six  years.  During  all 
these  years,  Athaliah  reigned  over  the  land,  and  idolatry  tri- 
umphed. 

S. — What  became  of  this  wicked  queen  Athaliah  ? 

F. — When  Joash  was  seven  years  old,  Jehoiada, — after  taking  all 
necessary  precautions, — brought  him  out  into  the  court  of  the 
temple,  where  he  anointed  him,  crowned  him,  and  proclaimed  him 
king.  Athaliah,  hearing  the  shouts  of  the  people,  ran  towards  the 
temple,  crying  Treason!  Treason!  But  the  guards  of  the  young 
king  instantly  fell  upon  her,  and  slow  her  with  the  sword. 

S. — Young  Joash  was  now  made  king  over  Judah  !  How  long 
did  he  reign  ?     And  in  what  manner  ? 

F. — He  reigned  forty  years.  During  the  first  half  of  his  reign, 
while  Jehoiada,  his  great  patron  and  instructor  lived,  he  ruled  faith- 
fully and  well.     He  took  much  j)ains  in  repairing  the  house  of  the 


296  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Lord,  which,  since  the  death  of  Jehoshaphat,  had  been  neglected. 
He  labored  also  to  reclaim  the  people  from  idolatr}',  and  establish 
them  in  the  service  and  worship  of  God,  But  when  Jehoiada  was 
dead,  Joash  fell  under  the  influence  of  bad  advisers,  who  led  him  to 
tolerate  and  even  countenance  idolatry ;  and  though  prophets  were 
sent  to  reprove  him,  he  grew  no  better  ;  he  was  angry  with  them, 
and  persecuted  them.  He  was  so  angry  with  Zechariah,  a  son 
of  his  old  friend  Jehoiada,  for  reproving  him,  that  he  took  his  life. 
Wherefore  God  visited  him,  as  he  was  wont  to  do  in  like  cases,  with 
distressing  judgments.  He  sent  against  him,  year  after  jear,  the 
king  of  Syria,  who,  on  one  occasion,  entered  and  pillaged  Jerusalem. 
He  also  visited  him  Avith  a  complication  of  diseases.  At  length,  two 
of  his  servants  conspired  against  him  and  took  his  life. 

S. — Who  succeeded  Joash  on  the  throne  of  Judah  ? 

F. — His  son  Amaziah,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five.  For  a  time,  he 
governed  his  people  well,  and  was  prospered ;  but  at  length,  like  his 
father,  he  fell  into  idolatry,  and  Avas  not  reclaimed  by  the  reproofs  of 
the  prophets.  Consequently,  he  was  visited  with  heavA^  judgments, 
and  died  in  disgrace.  His  subjects  became  tired  of  him,  pursued 
him  to  Lachish,  and  there  sleAV  him.  His  entire  reign  Avas  twenty- 
nine  years. 

*S'. — When  Jehu  came  to  the  throne  of  Israel,  he  had  a  promise 
that  his  sons  should  succeed  him,  to  the  fourth  generation.  Was 
this  promise  fulfilled? 

F. — It  Avas.  The  first  of  his  sons  Avho  reigned  Avas  Jehoahaz  ;  the 
second  Avas  Joash ;  the  third  was  Jeroboam  II.,  and  the  fourth 
Zechariah.  In  the  days  of  Joash,  the  prophet  Elisha  died.  Joash 
visited  him  in  his  sickness,  Avept  over  him,  and  received  his  blessing. 
Yea  more  ;  Elisha  encouraged  him  to  make  Avar  upon  the  Syrians, 
and  promised  him  three  successive  victories, — all  Avhich  Avas  glori- 
ously fulfilled.  Jeroboam  II.  Avas  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  kings 
of  Israel,  and  died  in  great  honor  after  a  reign  of  forty-one  years. 
He  enlarged  his  dominions,  north  and  south,  till  they  Avere  almost 
as  extensive  as  in  the  days  of  David  and  Solomon. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  297 

S. — "Who  succeeded  Amaziali  as  king  of  Jiulali? 

F. — His  son  Azaiiah,  sometimes  called  Uzziali.  He  reigned  in 
all  fifty-tAvo  years ;  and  it  may  be  said  of  him,  as  of  his  father,  that 
in  the  first  part  of  his  reign,  he  governed  the  people  well,  and  was 
prospered.  He  repaired  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  fortified  them  with 
towers,  and  was  the  first  inventor  of  engines  with  which  to  hurl 
darts  and  stones.  lie  was  a  lover  of  agriculture,  and  did  much 
to  encourage  and  improve  it  among  his  people.  But  like  thousands 
of  others,  his  prosperity  ruined  him.  In  his  pride,  he  intruded  him- 
self into  the  priest's  office,  and  took  it  upon  him  to  offer  incense. 
For  this  offense,  he  was  smitten  with  leprosy,  and  continued  a  leper, 
living  in  a  separate  house,  to  the  day  of  his  death.  His  govern- 
ment was  administered,  meanwhile,  by  his  brave  son  Jotham. 

S. — "What  distinguished  prophets  lived  at  the  period  now  before 


us? 

F. — There  were  Jonah  and  Hosea,  who  prophesied  chiefly  in  the 
kingdom  of  Israel.  Following  them  were  Joab,  Amos,  Obadiah, 
and  Isaiah.  Isaiah  commenced  his  prophecy  in  the  reign  of 
Azariah,  and  continued  it  down  to  the  time  of  Hezekiah. 

S. — What  was  the  state  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  from  this  time 
to  their  carrj-ing  away  mto  captivity?  Please  give  us  a  brief 
abstract  of  their  history. 

F. — The  brave  Jeroboam  II.  lived  until  the  twenty-sixth  year  of 
the  reign  of  Azariah.  Zachariah  his  son,  who  succeeded  him,  and 
who  was  the  last  of  the  descendants  of  Jehu,  reigned  only  six 
months,  when  he  was  murdered  by  Shallum,  a  usurper.  "When 
Shallum  had  reigned  one  month,  he  was  put  to  death  by  Menahem, 
one  of  his  generals.  By  the  help  of  Pul,  king  of  Assyria,  Menahem 
was  enabled  to  hold  the  government  ten  years.  This  Pul  is  the 
first  of  the  kings  of  Assyria  whose  name  occurs  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. He  reigned  at  Nineveh,  and  may  have  been  the  king  to 
whom  Jonah  preached. 

]Menahem  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Pekahiah,  who  was  murdered, 
after  two  years,  by  Pekah,  the  son  of  Remaliah.     Pekah  held  the 

19 


298  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

throne  twenty-one  years,  but  not  without  great  trouble  and  per- 
plexity. In  repeated  instances,  Tiglath-pileser  invaded  his  land, 
took  his  cities,  ravaged  the  country,  and  carried  away  many  of  the 
people  into  captivity.  At  length,  as  Pekah  had  murdered  his 
master,  Hoshea,  the  son  of  Elab  murdered  him.  He  held  the 
throne  nine  years,  and  was  the  last  of  the  kings  of  Israel. 

S. — Who  put  an  end  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel  ? 

F. — It  was  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria.  In  the  second  year  of 
the  reign  of  Hoshea,  Shalmaneser  invaded  his  country,  and  put 
him  under  tribute.  For  several  years,  Hoshea  paid  the  tribute ; 
but  becoming  tired  of  it,  he  entered  into  a  conspiracy  with  So,  king 
of  Egypt,  and  withheld  his  tribute  from  the  king  of  Assyria.  Upon 
this,  Shalmaneser  came  against  him  with  a  great  army,  ravaged  the 
country,  besieged  Samaria,  and,  after  three  years,  took  it.  He  put 
Hoshea  in  chains,  and  shut  him  up  in  prison  to  the  day  of  his 
death.  He  carried  the  great  body  of  the  Israelites  into  captivity, 
and  placed  them  in  the  northerly  part  of  Assyria,  in  the  kingdom 
of  the  Medes.  At  the  same  time,  he  brought  a  mixed  multitude  of 
people  from  the  different  provinces  of  his  empire,  and  planted  them 
in  the  cities  of  Israel ;  and  from  these  foreigners,  mixed  up  with 
some  straggling  Israelites  who  remained  in  the  land,  descended  the 
Samaritans.,  of  whom  we  hear  so  much  in  the  subsequent  history 
of  the  Jews.  No  wonder  the  Jews  would  not  acknowledge  them 
as  the  veritable  seed  of  Abraham,  and  that  an  interminable  preju- 
dice existed  between  the  two  nations. 

S. — How  long  did  the  kingdom  of  Israel  stand  ? 

F. — It  commenced  with  Jeroboam  the  son  of  Nebat,  and  ended 
with  Hoshea  the  son  of  Elah,  when  it  had  stood  two  hundred  and 
fifty-six  years. 


CONVERSATION  XXXVII. 

KINGS  OF  JUDAH  TO  THE  CAPTIVITY.— Kcigii  of  Jotham.— Succeeded  by  his 
son  Ahaz. — Idolatry  of  this  reign. — The  temple  closed. — Ilezekiah's  reign. — One  of  the 
best  of  tlie  kings  of  Judah. — His  character. — The  temple  opened. — Revival  of  the  pass- 
over. — The  brazen  serpent  of  Moses  broken. — A  wonderful  plienomenon. — Josiah's 
government. — The  book  of  the  law  found  on  repairing  the  temple. — Death  of  Josiah. — 
Eulogy  of  Jeremiah. — Jerusalem  and  the  temple  destroyed. 

Son. — The  last  of  the  kings  of  Judah  of  whom  we  have  heard 
was  Azariah,  or  Uzziah,  the  leper.     Who  succeeded  him? 

Father. — His  son  Jotham,  who  administered  the  government  sev- 
eral years  before  his  father's  death.  He  came  to  the  throne  at  the 
age  of  twenty-five,  and  reigned  sixteen  years.  He  was  an  excellent 
prince,  distinguished  alike  for  his  piety,  his  justice,  and  his  strict 
regard  for  the  interests  of  his  people.  He  repaired  the  walls  of  the 
city  and  the  temple,  and  did  much  to  strengthen  and  fortify  his 
kingdom.  He  died  in  peace,  at  the  age  of  forty-one,  and  was 
buried  in  the  sepulcher  of  the  kings. 

S. — Who  next  reigned  over  Judah? 

F. — Ahaz,  the  son  of  Jotham.  He  began  to  reign  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  and  continued  in  the  government  sixteen  years.  He  was  a 
wicked  king,  regardless  alike  of  God,  and  of  the  welfare  of  his 
people.  He  not  only  worshiped  the  golden  calves,  but  made  molten 
images  of  the  gods  of  the  heathen  round  about,  and  caused  his 
sons  to  pass  through  the  fire  to  Moloch.  For  these  offenses  he  was 
terribly  chastised  by  the  confederate  armies  of  Rezin  king  of  Syria, 
and  of  Pekah  king  of  Israel.  They  vanquished  his  army,  plundered 
his  cities,  and  slew  many  of  his  princes.  In  his  distress,  Ahaz 
applied  to  Tiglath-pileser,  king  of  Assyria  for  help.  He  sent  him 
large  presents  of  gold  and  silver,  and  promised  to  be  his  servant  in 
time  to  come,  if  he  would  consent  to  help  him  against  the  kings  of 
Syria  and  Israel.  Accordingly  the  king  of  Assyria  made  war  upon 
the  Syrians  of  Damascus  and  upon  the  Israelites.  He  took  from 
Pekah  king  of  Israel  all  his  possessions  east  of  the  Jordan,  plundered 


300  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Galilee,  and  went  into  winter  quarters  at  Damascus.  Here  Ahaz 
went  to  see  him,  and  to  do  him  homage  as  his  tributary  and  vassal. 
At  Damascus,  Ahaz  saw  an  altar  with  wliich  he  was  so  much 
pleased,  that  he  sent  a  model  of  it  to  Jerusalem,  Avith  orders  to  the 
liigh  priest  to  prepare  one  like  it.  When  this  was  done,  the  altar  of 
the  Lord  was  taken  away,  to  give  place  to  the  new  heathen  altar. 
At  length,  he  caused  the  temple  to  be  closed,  and  the  worship  of 
the  God  of  Israel  to  be  suppressed ;  devoting  himself  wholly  to  the 
worship  of  idols.  But  he  was  driven  away  in  his  wickedness  at  the 
early  age  of  thirty-six,  and  his  good  son  Hezekiah  reigned  in  his 
stead. 

8. — What  was  the  character  of  Hezekiah  ? 

F. — He  was  one  of  the  best  of  the  kings  of  Judah.  Immediately 
on  his  accession,  he  set  about  a  thorough  reformation  of  religion. 
He  caused  the  doors  of  the  temple  to  be  opened ;  cast  forth  the  new 
Syrian  altar,  and  put  the  Lord's  altar  in  its  place  ;  and  whatever 
other  pollutions  the  sacred  places  had  contracted,  he  caused  to  be 
purged  away.  He  sanctified  the  'priests,  offered  sacrifices  according 
to  the  law,  and  appointed  singers  to  praise  the  Lord,  in  the  words  of 
David,  and  of  Asaph  the  seer.  He  revived  the  passover,  and  invited 
the  people  of  Israel  to  unite  with  his  own  people  in  observing  it. 
And  so  interested  were  they  all  in  this  solemn  national  festival,  that 
they  continued  it  fourteen  days, — twice  the  usual  appointed  time. 
There  had  been  no  such  j)assover  in  Israel  since  the  days  of  Solo- 
mon. At  the  close  of  the  feast,  the  people  went  out  together,  and 
brake  in  pieces  the  images,  cut  down  the  groves,  demolished  the 
altars  of  idol  worship,  and  restored  the  worship  of  the  God  of  Israel. 
They  even  destroyed  the  brazen  serj^ent  which  Moses  had  made  in 
the  wilderness,  because  it  had  been  perverted  to  purposes  of  idol- 
atry. And  God,  Avhom  Hezekiah  so  diligently  served,  granted  him 
unusual  prosperity.  He  overcame  the  Philistines,  recovered  from 
them  the  cities  which  his  father  had  lost,  and  made  great  inroads  on 
their  own  territories. 

>S'. — What  befell  good  Hezekiah  about  the  middle  of  his  reign  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  301 

F. — He  was  visited  with  distressing  sickness,  and  was  warned  by 
the  prophet  Isaiah  to  prepare  for  death.  At  the  same  time  he  was 
threatened  with  an  invasion  by  Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria.  In 
his  distress,  he  cried  unto  the  Lord ;  and  his  praj-er  was  heard.  Soon 
the  prophet  was  sent  again  unto  him  with  a  promise  of  recovery 
from  sickness,  and  deliverance  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Assyrians. 
In  confirmation  of  the  message,  a  stupendous  miracle  was  wrought. 
The  sun  went  tew  degrees  backward  upon  the  dial  of  Ahaz  on 
which  it  had  gone  down. 

S. — Who  sent  messengers  to  congratulate  Hezekiah  upon  his 
recovery  from  sickness,  and  to  inquire  respecting  the  wonder  which 
was  done  in  the  land? 

F. — The  king  of  Babylon.  Hezekiah  was  flattered  with  the 
attention  shown  to  him,  received  the  messengers  gladly,  and  showed 
them  all  the  treasures  of  his  house.  For  his  pride  and  ostentation 
in  this  matter,  he  was  reproved  by  Isaiah,  and  was  told  that  the 
time  was  near,  when  all  his  treasures  should  be  carried  to  Babylon. 

S. — By  whom  was  the  land  invaded  soon  after  this? 

F. — By  Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria.  Having  captured  several 
of  the  cities  of  Judah,  he  came,  at  length,  and  sat  down  before 
Lachish,  intending,  when  that  was  taken,  to  attack  Jerusalem  itself. 
Hezekiah  made  every  possible  preparation  for  defense.  He  fortified 
the  city ;  he  enrolled  and  drilled  his  army ;  and  succeeded,  for  a 
time,  in  baying  off  the  Assyrian  army.  But  Sennacherib  soon 
returned,  and  sent  me.jsengers  to  demand  the  surrender  of  Jerusa- 
lem. Hezekiah  now  brought  the  case  more  directly  to  God,  and 
entreated  the  prophet  Isaiah  to  intercede  for  him.  He  did  so,  and 
received  for  answer  that  Jerusalem  was  safe  ;  that  it  was  under  the 
Divine  protection  ;  that  Sennacherib  should  not  come  near  it,  nor 
shoot  an  arrow  against  it.* 

At  this  juncture  the  king  of  Assyria  was  called  away  to  defend  his 


*netailed  accounts  of  these  expeditions  of  Sennacherib,  and  of  the  siege  of  Lacliish  have 
been  recovered  from  the  mounds  near  the  Tigris,  all  going  to  confirm  the  sacred  history. 
See  Kawliusou's  Evidences,  pp.  19,  20. 


302  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

own  dominions,  which  were  invaded  by  Tirhakah,  king  of  Ethiopia. 
But  in  a  little  time,  he  was  back  again  in  Judea,  more  resolved  than 
ever  on  the  capture  of  Jerusalem.  But  his  bloody  purpose  was 
most  remarkably  and  effectually  defeated.  An  angel  from  God 
came  down  into  his  camp,  and  slew  185,000  of  his  men  in  a  single 
night.  Terrified  at  this  dreadful  catastrophe,  Sennacherib  hastened 
back  into  his  own  country,  where  he  was  slain  by  his  two  sons. 

S. — How  did  Hezekiah  pass  the  remainder  of  his  days  ? 

F. — The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  one  of  peace  and  quietness. 
He  was  revered  by  his  own  subjects,  and  feared  and  honored  by  the 
surrounding  nations.  He  fortified  Jerusalem  in  the  strongest  man- 
ner, brought  a  supply  of  pure  water  into  it,  and  did  all  in  his  power 
for  the  improvement  and  happiness  of  his  people.  He  died  in  the 
fifty -fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  twenty-ninth  of  his  reign,  and 
was  buried  in  the  most  honorable  of  the  sepulchers  of  the  sons  of 
David. 

S. — "Who  was  his  successor  ? 

F. — Manasseh  his  son,  who  was  only  twelve  years  old  when  he 
came  to  the  throne.  Falling  into  the  hands  of  wicked  advisers  and 
guardians,  he  became  as  pre-eminently  corrupt  and  sinful,  as  his 
father  had  been  holy.  He  not  only  restored  the  high  places, 
worshiped  idols,  and  erected  altars  unto  Baal,  but  he  removed  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  from  its  place  in  the  sanctuary,  and  set  up  an 
idol  in  its  stead.  He  practiced  enchantments,  consulted  those  who 
had  familiar  spirits,  and  made  his  children  pass  through  the  fire  to 
Moloch.  Nor  was  he  content  to  work  these  abominations  alone  ; 
but  being  naturally  of  a  cruel  temper,  he  persecuted  those  who 
would  not  unite  with  him.  The  prophets  who  were  sent  to  reprove 
him  he  treated  with  the  utmost  contempt  and  outrage,  and  filled 
Jerusalem,  not  only  with  idols,  but  with  innocent  blood.  The 
venerable  prophet  Isaiah,  the  friend  and  counselor  of  his  father,  he 
is  said  to  have  sawn  asunder  with  a  wooden  saw.  But  it  was  not 
long  before  the  vengeance  of  God  overtook  him.  Esarhaddon,  the 
son  and  successor  of  Sennacherib,  undertook  to  accomplish  what  his 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  303 

father  had  in  vain  attempted, — the  subjugation  of  all  Palestine  to 
his  sway.  He  first  marched  his  army  into  the  territory  of  the  ten 
tribes,  and  carried  away  a  multitude  of  Israelites — the  remains  of 
the  former  captivity.  He  then  sent  his  generals  into  Judea,  where 
they  found  and  captured  Manasseh,  bound  him  with  chains,  and 
carried  him  a  prisoner  to  Babylon. 

S. — What  was  the  effect  of  this  infliction  ? 

F. — His  prison  and  his  chains  brought  him  to  repentance.  With 
deep  sorrow  and  humiliation,  he  implored  the  Divine  pity  and  for- 
giveness ;  and  God  was  pleased  so  to  melt  the  heart  of  the  king  of 
Babylon,  that  he  consented  to  restore  him  to  his  liberty  and 
kingdom. 

S. — How  did  Manasseh  demean  himself  after  his  return  ? 

F. — He  redressed,  so  far  as  possible,  the  mischiefs  which  his  for- 
mer impiety  had  occasioned.  He  cleansed  and  purified  the  temple, 
destroyed  the  idols,  restored  the  reformation  which  his  father  had 
made,  and  obliged  his  people  to  worship  and  serve  the  Lord.  After 
this,  he  reigned  in  prosperity  about  twenty  years.  His  whole  reign 
was  fifty-five  years — longer  than  that  of  any  of  the  kings  of  Judah. 
He  retained  to  the  last  a  deep  sense  of  his  unworthiness,  and  was 
unwilling,  on  this  account,  to  be  buried  in  the  sepulchers  of  the 
kings.  We  have  what  purports  to  be  his  penitential  prayer,  in  one 
of  the  apocryphal  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  It  is  certainly  a 
very  humble  and  remarkable  prayer,  whether  offered  by  Manasseh 
or  not. 

S. — Manasseh  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Amon.  What  was  his 
character  ? 

F. — He  imitated  the  wickedness  of  the  first  part  of  his  father's 
reign ;  but  not  the  repentance  of  the  latter  part.  He  gave  himself 
to  all  sorts  of  impiety.  But  his  time  was  short.  Two  of  his  ser- 
vants conspired  against  him  and  slew  him,  when  he  had  reigned 
only  two  years.     He  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-four. 

S. — How  old  was  Josiah  at  his  father's  death  ? 

F. — Only  eight  years.     He  began  early  to  seek  the  Lord,  and 


304  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

was  a  prince  of  extraordinary  piety  and  goodness.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen,  he  took  upon  himself  the  administration  of  the  government ; 
and,  beginning  with  the  reformation  of  religion,  he  endeavored  to 
purge  it  from  all  those  corruptions  which  had  been  introduced  in 
the  preceding  reign.  He  traveled  through  his  kingdom,  demolish- 
ing altars,  cutting  down  the  groves,  and  breaking  in  pieces  the 
molten  images.  He  defiled  Tophet  which  was  in  the  valley  of 
Hinnom,  burned  the  chariots  of  the  sun,  and  drove  the  Sodomites 
out  of  the  land.  He  overthrew  the  altar  of  Jeroboam's  calf  at 
Bethel,  where  it  had  stood  more  than  three  hundred  years. 

S. — In  repairing  and  purifying  the  temple,  what  was  found? 

F. — The  priests  found  there  the  book  of  the  law  of  the  Lord. 
The  probability  is  that  they  found  the  original  copy^  written  by  the 
hand  of  Moses,  which  had  been  deposited  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
with  the  tables  of  stone.  The  book  was  carried  immediately  to  the 
king,  who  had  never  seen  a  copy  of  the  law,  and  was  read  before 
him.  He  was  much  affected  in  view  of  the  great  guilt  .which  had 
been  incurred,  rent  his  clothes,  and  sent  some  of  his  principal  offi- 
cers to  Huldah  the  prophetess  to  inquire  of  the  Lord.  She  returned 
answer,  that  the  judgments  threatened  in  the  book  of  the  law  would 
ere  long  be  executed ;  but,  on  account  of  the  contrition  of  the  king, 
they  should  not  come  in  his  day. 

S. — What  further  reformation  was  attempted  by  Josiah  ? 

F. — He  called  together  the  elders  and  people  of  the  land,  had  the 
book  of  the  law  publicly  read  to  them  ;  and  caused  them  to  enter 
into  a  solemn  covenant  to  observe  and  do  according  to  its  precepts. 
And  when  the  season  of  the  Passover  came  round,  he  kept  it  with 
more  exactness  and  solemnity  than  had  ever  before  been  witnessed 
in  Israel.  In  short,  this  excellent  prince  did  all  in  his  power  to 
appease  and  avert  the  wrath  of  God ;  but  the  doom  of  Judah  had 
been  pronounced,  and  could  not  be  revoked. 

8. — What  occasioned  the  death  of  Josiah  ? 

F. — In  the  thirty-first  year  of  his  reign,  the  king  of  Egypt  asked 
permission  to  pass  through  some  part  of  Judea  on  his  way  to  fight 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  305 

the  king  of  Babylon  ;  but  Josiiili  would  not  consent  to  it,  and 
unwisely  drew  up  his  army  in  the  valley  of  Megiddo  to  oppose  him. 
The  two  armies  came  to  battle,  and  Josiah  was  slain.  And  great 
was  the  lamentation  in  Judea  on  account  of  him.  Jeremiah  the 
prophet  prepared  a  funeral  elegy  on  the  occasion,  which  was  long 
sung  by  the  singers  of  Israel. 

>S'. — What  changes  took  place  in  the  government  after  the  death 
of  Josiah  ? 

F. — At  the  first,  his  son  Jehoahaz  was  called  to  the  kingdom,  but 
he  reigned  only  three  months.  On  the  return  of  the  king  of  Egypt 
from  his  war  in  the  East,  he  deposed  Jehoahaz,  and  sent  him  a 
prisoner  into  Egypt, — where  he  died.  Jehoahaz  had  an  elder 
brother,  Avliose  name  was  Eliakim :  Him  the  king  of  Egypt  took, 
changed  his  name  to  Jehoiakim,  and  placed  him  on  the  throne  of 
Judah.  He  was  a  cruel,  wicked  prince,  who  strove  to  undo  all  that 
his  pious  father  had  accomplished ;  and  when  reproved  by  Jeremiah 
and  the  other  prophets,  he  was  angry,  and  put  some  of  them  to 
death.  In  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of 
Babylon  captured  Jerusalem,  and  took  him  prisoner  ;  but  upon  his 
humbling  himself  to  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  consenting  to  become 
his  tributary  and  vassal,  his  throne  and  kingdom  were  restored  to 
him.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  first  captives  Avere  taken  to 
Babylon,  among  whom  was  Daniel  and  his  three  friends.  Only 
three  years  after  this,  Jehoiakim  rebelled  against  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  entered  into  a  confederacy  with  the  king  of  Egypt ;  whereupon 
the  Babylonians  again  invaded  Judah,  took  Jehoiakim  prisoner,  and 
slew  him  with  the  sword.  His  lifeless  body  was  cast  out  into  the 
field,  having  none  to  bury  it;  thus  fulfilling  one  of  the  prophecies 
of  Jeremiah :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Jehoiakim  king  of  Judah. 
His  dead  body  shall  be  cast  out  in  the  day  to  the  heat,  and  in  the 
night  to  the  frost,  and  I  will  punish  him  and  his  seed  for  their 
iniquity"  (Jer.  xxxvi.  30). 

*S'. — Who  next  ascended  the  throne  ? 

F. — A    son    of    Jehoiakim,    called    Jehoiachin,    and    sometimes 


306  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


Jeconiah,  and  Coniah.  But  he  reigned  only  three  months  and 
ten  days,  when  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  Nebuchadnezzar  and  car- 
ried to  Babylon.  He  was  kept  in  prison  until  the  death  of 
Nebuchadnezzar, — after  which  he  was  released;  but  he  never  re- 
turned to  Jerusalem.  Many  of  the  princes  and  principal  inhabit- 
ants of  Judah  were  carried  into  captivity  at  the  same  time  with 
Jeconiah, — among  whom  was  the  prophet  Ezekiel. 

S. — What  followed  the  captivity  of  Jehoiachin  ? 

F. — Over  those  who  still  remained  in  the  land,  Nebuchadnezzar 
placed  Zedekiah,  a  third  son  of  Josiah,  exacting  from  him,  at  the 
same  time,  a  most  solemn  promise  to  be  true  and  faithful  to  himself. 
This  engagement  Zedekiah  fulfilled  for  several  years;  but  in  the 
eighth  year  of  his  reign,  he  violated  it,  and  entered  into  a  con- 
federacy with  the  king  of  Egypt.  This  brought  Nebuchadnezzar 
again  to  Jerusalem,  with  a  great  army,  by  which  the  city  was  closely 
besieged,  and  after  a  time  captured  and  destroyed.  Zedekiah 
attempted  to  escape,  but  was  taken,  and  brought  before  the  king  of 
Babylon  for  judgment.  He  first  caused  the  children  of  Zedekiah  to 
be  slain  before  his  eyes ;  then  his  eyes  were  put  out,  and  he  was 
carried  in  chains  to  Babylon,  to  be  a  close  prisoner  to  the  end  of  his 
days. 

After  the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  the  officers  of  Nebuchadnezzar 
first  gathered  together  all  the  wealth  of  the  place,  including  the 
vessels  of  the  house  of  the  Lord ;  they  then  set  fire  to  the  city  and 
temple  ;  brake  down  the  walls,  the  fortresses,  and  towers ;  and 
ceased  not  till  they  had  made  the  place  an  utter  desolation.  Many 
of  the  people  were  put  to  death,  and  many  others  were  taken  to 
Babylon,  to  join  their  brethren  that  were  already  there. 

S. — Were  any  of  the  Jews  still  left  in  Judea  ? 

F. — Some  of  the  poorer  of  the  people — enough  to  till  the  ground 
and  dress  the  vineyards  still  remained,  and  Gedaliah,  the  son  of 
Ahikam  was  made  their  governor.  With  him  Jeremiah  chose  to 
remain,  rather  than  go  with  the  captives  to  Babylon.  In  a  short 
time,  Gedaliah  was  murdered  by  Ishmael,  one  of  the  seed  royal,  who 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  307 

hoped  to  make  himself  king.  Failing  in  this,  he  fled  for  his  life 
and  took  refuge  among  the  Ammonites.  Johanan  the  son  of  Kareah 
now  took  upon  himself  the  office  of  governor ;  and  fearing  the 
return  of  the  Babylonians  to  avenge  the  death  of  Gedaliah,  he 
resolved, — in  direct  opposition  to  the  word  of  the  Lord  by  Jere- 
miah,— to  flee  into  Egypt.  He  did  so,  taking  Jeremiah  and  many 
others  with  him.     It  is  supposed  that  Jeremiah  died  in  Egypt. 

S. — Were  any  captives  carried  to  Babylon  after  this  ? 

F. — Yes ;  about  two  years  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  the 
Babylonians  came  and  swept  over  the  land  of  Israel  again,  carrying 
away  the  poor  remains  of  the  scattered  people.  The  holy  land  was 
now  left  waste  and  desolate  to  enjoy  her  Sabbaths,  according  to  the 
denunciations  of  the  prophets,  until  the  time  of  the  captivity  should 
be  fulfilled. 


CONVERSATION  XXXVIII. 

BOOK  OF  KINGS  AND  CHRONICLES.— History  of  the  books.— Original  plan  and 
division. — Discrepancies  to  be  found. — How  harmonized. — Omissions  and  additions 
found  and  arranged. — Design  of  the  books. — Author  or  authors  unknown. — Surmises. 
— Importance  of  tlie  books  as  a  matter  of  reliable  history. 

Son. — In  tracing  the  history  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel,  we 
have  relied  chiefly  on  the  books  of  the  Kings  and  Chronicles. 
Please  inform  us  in  regard  to  these  books. 

Father. — The  two  books  of  Kings  formerly  constituted  but  one 
book,  and  are  closely  connected  with  the  books  of  Samuel.  Indeed, 
the  two  books  of  Samuel  are  called,  in  the  Vulgate,  the  first  and 
second  books  of  Kings ;  while  our  books  of  Kings  are  the  third  and 
fourth.  The  present  division  and  naming  of  these  books  are  of 
modern  date. 

S. — Why  are  these  books  called  Kings  ? 

F. — Oar  two  books  of  Kings  may  be  so  called  from  the  fact,  that 
they  contain  a  history  of  the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel  ;  or  more 
probably  from  the  fact,  that  the  initial  word  of  the  first  book  is 
king.  Thus  the  Hebrew  names  of  Genesis,  of  Ecclesiastes,  and  of 
some  other  books,  come  from  the  initial  words. 

S. — Who  was  the  author  or  authors  of  the  books  of  Kings  and 
Chronicles  ? 

F. — On  this  subject  there  has  been  much  difference  of  opinion. 
Some  have  thought  them  the  work  of  the  same  author,  and  have 
ascribed  the  whole  to  Ezra  ;  but  I  cannot  be  of  this  opinion.  The 
books  of  Chronicles  are  evidently  sup^jlementar^/  to  those  of  Kings, 
and  were  written  at  a  later  period.  This  consideration  is  against 
the  supposition  that  they  belong  to  the  same  author.  The  most 
probable  theory  is,  that  these  books  were  not  originally  composed 
by  any  one  author,  but  were  compiled  by  some  inspired  prophet  or 
prophets  from  the  authorized  records  of  the  Kings  of  Judah  and 
Israel.     That  such  records  were  carefully   kept,    there  can  be  no 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  309 

doubt.  Under  each  reign,  an  individual  was  appointed  for  tliis  very 
purpose.  Tlie  records  wliich  these  men  kept  are  called  the  Chroni- 
cles^ i.  e.,  the  Day-hooks,  Diaries,  of  the  several  kings,  and  are  con- 
tinually referred  to,  in  our  copies,  as  the  sources  from  which  the 
history  was  taken,  and  as  containing  more  full  accounts  than  it 
comported  with  the  plan  of  the  sacred  writer  to  give.  From  these 
registers,  and  others  equally  authentic,  our  sacred  narrative  was 
undoubtedly  compiled ;  the  Holy  Spirit  directing  the  writer  just 
what  to  take,  and  what  to  omit,  and  how  to  modify  and  correct  the 
different  statements,  so  that  the  completed  work  might  be  regarded 
as  the  insjiired  word  of  God. 

*S'. — Do  we  know  the  compilers  of  the  books  of  the  Kings  ? 

F. — We  do  not.  There  was  a  succession  of  inspired  prophets, 
reaching  all  the  way  from  David  to  Zedekiah,  either  or  all  of  whom 
may  have  been  concerned  in  this  matter.  Jeremiah  had  Baruch 
for  a  scribe ;  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  Baruch,  under  the  direction 
of  Jeremiah,  may  have  finished  the  writing  of  the  Kings,  excepting 
the  last  few  verses  of  the  second  book.  The  whole  may  have  been 
revised,  and  these  last  verses  added,  by  Ezra,  after  the  captivity. 

S. — When  were  the  books  of  Chronicles  written  ? 

F. — These  were  obviously  Avritten,  or  rather  compiled,  after  the 
captivity  ;  and  were  designed,  as  I  said,  to  be  suppleinentary  to  the 
books  of  Kings.  They  contain  not  a  little  which  we  find  in  the 
Kings,  and  often  in  the  same  words, — showing  that  the  writers 
of  both  had  access  to  the  same  original  documents.  Still,  the 
Chronicles  omit  much  that  Ave  find  in  the  Kings,  and  contain  much 
that  we  do  not  find  there.  They  are  called  in  the  Septuagint 
TtnQahmofiEva,  things  left  out  or  omitted.  There  is  no  reason  to 
doubt  that  these  books  were  compiled  by  Ezra. 

*S'. — Are  there  any  discrepancies  between  the  statements  in  these 
books  ? 

F. — If  by  discrepancies  are  meant  differences  of  statement,  there 
undoubtedly  are  such.  Why  should  the  latter  books  have  been 
written  at  all  if  they  were  to  contain  the  same  as  the  former  and  in 


310  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  same  words  ?  But  if,  by  discrepancies,  are  meant  irreconcilable 
contradictions,  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  not  found  them.  There 
are  a  few  errors  of  transcribers,  more  especially  in  regard  to  num- 
bers, which  require  to  be  corrected  ;  but  aside  from  these,  there  are 
no  seeming  contradictions  which  may  not  easily  be  reconciled. 

S. — What  historical  facts  are  omitted  in  the  Chronicles,  wliich 
are  found  in  the  books  of  Samuel  and  the  Kings? 

F. — The  following  are  the  more  material  omitted  facts  : 

1.  The  history  of  Ish-bosheth,  the  son  of  Saul,  and  of  all  the  kings 
of  the  ten  tribes,  in  their  succession  under  Jeroboam.  In  the 
Chronicles,  we  have  only  incidental  references  to  these  kings ; 
while  in  Kings,  we  have  distinct  accounts  of  them  all. 

2.  The  account  of  David's  sin  in  the  matter  of  Uriah  is  not  in 
the  Chronicles.     Nor — 

3.  Do  we  find  in  the  Chronicles  the  story  of  Amnon's  treatment 
of  his  sister  Tamar,  and  of  his  consequent  death  at  the  hands  of 
Absalom.     Nor — 

4.  Do  the  Chronicles  inform  us  of  Absalom's  rebellion,  defeat, 
and  death. 

5.  The  Chronicles  have  nought  to  say  of  the  hanging  of  the 
seven  sons  and  grandsons  of  Saul,  to  appease  the  Gibeonites,  and 
avert  the  severity  of  famine  (2  Sam.  xxi). 

6.  David's  song  of  thanksgiving,  after  having  vanquished  all  his 
enemies,  is  not  in  the  Chronicles. 

7.  We  have  no  account  in  Chronicles  of  Adonijah's  conspiracy 
and  death  ;  neither  of  the  death  of  Joab.     Nor — 

8.  Have  we  any  account  in  Chronicles  of  Solomon's  defection,  in 
his  old  age,  and  of  the  consequent  denunciations  pronounced  against 
him. 

9.  As  we  have  no  distinct  history  in  the  Chronicles  of  any  of  the 
kings  of  Israel,  we  hear  nothing  there  of  Ahab  and  his  descendants, 
and  of  the  intercourse  of  Elijah  and  Elisha  with  that  wicked  race  of 
kings.  The  numerous  miracles  of  Elijah  and  Elisha, — the  story  of 
the  drought,  the  famine,  and  of  Elijah's  successful  intercession  for 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  311 

rain ;  the  miracles  of  both  these  men  in  raising  the  dead,  and  the 
narrative  of  Elijah's  translation  to  heaven, — all  this,  and  much 
more  in  regard  to  these  prophets,  is  omitted  by  the  writer  of  the 
Chronicles. 

aS'. — What  facts  do  we  find  in  the  Chronicles,  which  are  omitted 
in  the  other  books  ? 

F. — 1.  There  are  the  genealogical  tables,  reaching  from  Adam  to 
the  time  of  Ezra,  and  some  of  them  much  later, — the  names  in 
which  must  have  been  recorded  by  a  later  hand. 

2.  The  number  and  names  of  David's  mighty  men  ;  also  the 
numbers  from  the  different  tribes  of  Israel,  who  came  to  David 
to  Hebron  to  make  him  king. 

3.  The  story  of  Hiram's  kindness  to  David,  in  sending  him  mate- 
rials and  artificers  from  Tyre,  to  build  him  a  house. 

4.  The  number  and  names  of  the  Levites  who  assisted  David  in 
bringing  up  the  ark;  also  the  song  of  praise  which  was  sung  on 
that  occasion. 

5.  The  account  of  the  great  preparation  which  David  made,  in 
the  latter  part  of  his  life,  for  the  building  of  the  temple. 

6.  We  have  no  account  in  the  other  books  of  David's  appointing 
the  courses  of  the  Levites,  the  priests,  the  singers,  the  porters,  and 
the  captains,  such  as  is  given  in  the  Chronicles. 

7.  David's  charge  to  Solomon  and  the  princes  concerning  the 
temple,  and  other  matters,  is  much  more  full  in  the  Chronicles, 
than  in  the  Kings. 

8.  In  the  Kings,  w^e  have  no  account  of  Abijam's  speech  to 
Jeroboam  and  his  army,  nor  of  the  great  victory  which  he  gained 
over  them.     Neither — 

9.  Have  we,  in  the  Kings,  any  account  of  JManasseh's  repentance, 
and  of  his  restoration  to  his  throne  and  kingdom.  Of  this  most 
remarkable  display  of  the  power  and  grace  of  God  in  the  recovery 
of  a  flagrant  and  hardened  transgressor,  we  should  never  have 
heard,  but  for  the  writer  of  the  Chronicles. 

On  the  whole,  we  have  much  reason  to  be  thankful  for  the  books 


312  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  Chronicles.  Instead  of  raising  cavils  and  objections  in  regard  to 
them,  and  thus  endeavoring  to  disparage  their  authority,  and  bring 
them  into  contempt,  we  should  rather  bless  God  for  them,  diligently 
study  them,  and  gather  up  lessons  of  heavenly  wisdom  from  them. 
Like  all  other  Scripture,  when  properly  used,  these  books  will  be 
found  "  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness." 

S. — What  seems  to  have  been  the  design  of  the  Avriter,  and  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  in  giving  us  the  books  of  Chronicles,  in  addition 
to  those  of  Samuel  and  the  kings  ? 

F. — The  general  design  in  giving  these  books  was  to  instruct  and 
benefit  the  church  of  God,  in  all  coming  time.  The  more  sjyecific 
design  of  the  writers  was  to  benefit  the  afflicted  church  of  God, 
in  his  own  time.  He  wished  to  encourage  the  returned  exiles  from 
Babylon  in  building  the  new  temple,  by  setting  before  them  the 
high  examples  of  David  and  Solomon.  By  showing  them  how 
much  their  former  princes  contributed  to  the  old  temple,  he  wished 
to  stir  up  the  princes  and  people  around  him  to  a  corresponding 
liberality.  He  wished  also  to  instruct  the  priests  and  Levites  in 
their  appropriate  duties,  by  pointing  them  to  the  manner  in  which 
the  orders  of  God's  house  had  been  observed  in  other  days,  and 
finally,  as  there  was  danger,  in  the  confusion  and  distress  of  the 
times,  that  the  genealogies  of  the  people  might  be  broken  and  lost, 
it  seemed  good  to  the  writer  of  these  books  of  Chronicles,  and  to 
the  Holy  Ghost  who  inspired  him,  to  give  a  new  and  abbreviated 
edition  of  these  genealogies,  that  so  the  line  of  them  might  be  pre- 
served, that  our  Savior  might  be  known  to  be,  what  it  had  been 
predicted  he  should  be,  the  son  of  David. 


CONVERSATION  XXXIX. 

THE  BOOK  OF  JOB. — A  remarkable  character. — Real  or  imaginary. — The  land  of  Uz. 
— Its  location. — Time  at  wiiich  Job  lived. — The  author  of  the  book  of  Job. — The  plan 
of  the  work. —  Truth  of  the  uarrative. — Actual  sound  of  God's  voice. — Religious  Ijelief 
of  those  days. — The  question  of  Job's  second  family  being  by  tlie  mother  of  the  first. 

Father. — Having  now  traced  the  history  of  God's  people  to  the 
time  of  their  captivity  and  dispersion,  it  will  be  necessary  to  turn 
back,  and  consider  the  books  which  have  been  omitted.  And,  first, 
the  book  of  Job. 

Son. — But  do  you  think  that  such  a  man  as  Job  ever  lived — that 
he  was  a  real,  historical  person  ? 

F. — To  be  sure  I  do.  Does  not  the  Bible  say  expressly,  "  There 
was  a  man,  in  the  land  of  Uz,  whose  name  was  Job  ?  "  And  the 
two  first  chapters  of  the  book  are  not  poetry,  but  history.  Then 
the  existence  of  such  a  man  as  Job  is  assumed  and  spoken  of,  in 
other  parts  of  the  Bible.  Thus  in  Ezekiel,  Chap,  xiv.,  it  is  repeat- 
edly said,  "  Though  these  three  men,  Noah,  Daniel,  and  Job,  were 
in  the  city,  they  should  deliver  but  their  own  souls."  Here  Job  is 
as  distinctly  referred  to  as  Noah  or  Daniel.  The  Apostle  James 
also  saj^s,  "Ye  have  heard  of  the  patience  of  Job,  and  have  seen 
the  end  of  the  Lord,"  etc.,  (Chap.  v.  11). 

S. — If  Job  was  a  real,  historical  personage,  my  next  question  is, 
Where  did  he  live  ?     Where  was  the  land  of  Uz  ? 

F. — We  cannot  tell  certainly,  though  I  think  we  may  with  a 
high  degree  of  probability.  The  land  of  Uz  probably  took  its  name 
from  that  of  the  original  settler.  Now  there  was  an  Uz  among  the 
children  of  Nahor,  Abraham's  brother  (Gen.  xxii.  21)  ;  and  also 
among  the  descendants  of  Esau  (Gen.  xxxvi.  28)  ;  but  both  these 
are  too  late  to  meet  the  case  before  ns.  We  also  find  the  name  of 
Uz  among  the  grandsons  of  Shem  (Gen.  x.  23).  He  seems  to  have 
settled  in  Arabia,  west  of  the  Euphrates,  between  Chaldea  and 
Idumea.     And  this  was,  probably,  the  residence  of  Job.     In  the 

20 


314  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

language  of  Scripture,  this  was  an  eastern  country  ;  and  Job  is  said 
to  have  been  "  the  greatest  of  all  the  children  of  the  Easty 

The  supposition  that  this  was  the  country  where  Job  lived  is 
strengthened  by  the  fact  that  several  of  the  persons  and  tribes  men- 
tioned in  the  book  of  Job  resided  in  this  vicinity.  His  three 
friends,  and  also  Elihu,  had  their  dwelling  in  Arabia,  between  the 
Euphrates  and  the  Dead  sea.  The  Sabeans  and  Chaldeans,  who 
plundered  the  property  of  Job,  were  also  in  this  vicinity.  There  is 
still  a  place  in  this  country  which  the  natives  call  Uz,  and  the 
tradition  is,  that  this  was  the  residence  of  Job. 

S. — How  early  did  Job  live  ? 

F. — We  cannot  tell  certainly,  but  it  must  have  been  far  back  in 
the  patriarchal  age.  He  must  have  lived  before  the  exode  of  the 
Israelites  from  Egypt,  and  the  giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai ;  for  there 
is  not  an  allusion  to  these  important  events  in  the  whole  book. 
There  is  a  manifest  allusion  to  the  deluge,  as  a  not  very  distant 
event.  "  Hast  thou  marked  the  old  way  which  wicked  men  have 
trodden,  which  were  cut  down  out  of  time,  whose  foundation  was 
overflown  with  a  flood"  (Job.  xxii.  15,  16)?  In  fact,  all  the 
recorded  circumstances  respecting  Job,  such  as  the  great  age  to 
which  he  lived ;  the  nature  of  his  property,  consisting  of  flocks  and 
herds  ;  the  religious  rites  which  he  practiced,  which  Avere  purely 
patriarchal ;  the  wandering  tribes  which  plundered  him,  and  the 
friends  which  visited  him, — all  go  to  place  him  among  the  patri- 
archs of  the  earliest  times.  He  probably  lived  somewhere  between 
the  age  of  Terah,  the  father  of  Abraham,  and  the  times  of  Jacob 
and  Esau,  about  six  hundred  years  after  the  deluge,  and  eighteen 
hundred  years  before  the  coming  of  Christ. 

S. — Whom  do  you  regard  as  the  writer  of  the  book  of  Job  ? 

F. — I  cannot  tell  certainly,  but  my  belief  is  that  it  was  written 
by  Moses  during  his  long  residence  in  Arabia,  previous  to  his  call 
for  the  deliverance  of  his  people.  The  story  of  Job's  unexampled 
sufferings,  of  his  controversy  with  his  friends,  of  his  final  deliver- 
ance and  subsequent  prosperity,  must,  of  necessity,  have  been  widely 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  315 

known  in  Arabia,  and  could  hardly  fail  to  come  to  the  ears  of  Moses 
during  his  residence  in  that  country.  Moses  was  perfectly  compe- 
tent, both  as  a  poet  and  an  historian,  to  -write  such  a  book  ;  he  was, 
probably,  the  only  man  in  all  that  region  who  could  write  it ;  and 
what  more  natural  than  the  supposition  that  he  would  employ  some 
portion  of  his  leisure  in  preparing  it  ? 

The  consideration  which,  more  than  any  other,  satisfies  me  that 
Moses  was  the  author  of  this  book  is,  its  unquestioned  position  m 
the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament.  Would  the  Israelites  so  early 
have  accepted  this  book,  and  so  pertinaciously  have  retained  it 
among  their  other  Scriptures,  had  it  been  of  heathen  or  doubtful 
origin  ;  had  they  not  been  able  to  trace  it  to  their  great  lawgiver 
and  judge  ?  Nor  does  the  fact  that  the  book  contains  some  Syriac 
and  Arabic  expressions  militate  at  all  against  this  supposition.  The 
story,  it  must  be  remembered,  is  of  Arabian  origin.  The  book,  too, 
was  written  in  Arabia,  and  by  one  who  had  long  been  a  dweller  in  that 
country.     Why,  then,  should  it  not  bear  some  marks  of  its  original  ? 

*S'. — I  think  you  are  right  in  ascribing  the  authorship  of  the  book 
of  Job  to  Moses.  Its  place  in  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament 
proves  it.  Please  now  inform  us  as  to  the  plan  and  method  of 
this  ancient  book. 

F. — The  body  of  the  work,  as  you  know,  is  Hebrew  poetry  ;  but 
the  first  two  chapters  and  a  part  of  the  last,  are  prose.  In  the 
introduction,  we  have  a  brief  account  of  Job's  history,  of  his  excel- 
lent character,  of  his  great  prosperity,  and  the  reason  of  the  sore 
trial  with  which  he  was  visited. 

*S'. — Do  you  think  the  account  here  given  of  the  meetings  of  the 
spirits  in  the  other  world  is  literally  true  ? 

F. — It  may  be  so ;  though  I  am  inclined  to  interpret  it  differ- 
entl}'.  This  part  of  the  story  has  the  air  of  a  parable, — of  which 
the  Arabians  are  excessively  fond, — a  parable  introduced  to  set 
forth  the  reason  why  God  should  so  sorely  afflict  so  good  a  man  as 
Job.  As  a  parable,  this  part  of  the  narrative  has  great  beauty  and 
force.     As  veritable  history,  it  is  beset  with  mau}^  difficulties. 


316  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — What  is  the  general  subject  of  the  poetical  part  of  the  book? 

F. — It  is  a  debate  between  Job  and  his  friends  on  the  question 
whether  this  life  is  one  of  retribution,  or  probation.  Does  God 
treat  men,  in  this  world,  in  strict  accord  with  their  characters  ? 
Does  he  uniformly  prosper  the  good,  and  afflict  the  wicked,  so 
that  we  may  judge  of  the  characters  of  men  by  the  manner  in 
which  they  are  dealt  with  ?  In  other  words,  did  Job's  great  afflic- 
tions prove  that  he  was  a  great  hypocrite,  and  a  very  wicked  man  ? 

S. — What  was  the  method  of  the  debate  ?  Was  it  conducted  in 
an  orderly  manner  ? 

F. — Following  a  season  of  sympathetic  silence.  Job  opens  his 
mouth,  and  gives  utterance  to  his  complaint.  Then  Eliphaz  the 
Temanite, — who  seems  to  be  a  leader  among  the  three  friends, — 
commences  the  discussion.  To  him  Job  replies.  Next,  Bildad  the 
Shuite  continues  the  argument ;  and  Job  replies  to  him.  Zophar 
the  Naamathite  next  assails  the  poor  afflicted  man ;  and  Job  replies 
asrain.  This  ends  what  I  conceive  to  be  the  first  session  of  the  con- 
ference,  and  brings  us  to  the  close  of  the  fourteenth  chapter. 

In  the  second  session,  the  same  order  is  observed,  Eliphaz  opens 
the  discussion,  and  Job  replies.  Bildad  continues  it,  and  Job  replies. 
Zophar  adds  his  rebukes  and  reproaches,  and  Job  replies  again. 
Chap.  xiv.  to  xxi.  The  third  session  proceeds  in  the  same  way, 
except  that  Zophar  fails  to  perform  his  part,  and  Job  has  the  last 
word.     Chap.  xxii.  to  xxxi. 

The  debate  might  have  ended  here,  but  that  Elihu,  who  had  been 
a  listener,  and  was  displeased  that  no  answer  had  been  given  to  Job 
rises  up  and  delivers  a  long  speech,  much  in  the  strain  of  Job's 
previous  accusers.  As  he  draws  towards  the  close,  a  storm  of  wind, 
thunder,  and  lightning  is  seen  rising  in  the  desert,  and  approaching 
the  affrighted  speakers ;  and  presently  the  voice  of  God  himself  is 
heard  issuing  from  the  cloud.  And  for  awful  sublimity  and  pathos, 
this  speech  of  the  Almighty  has  never  been  equaled.  I  will  not 
attempt  to  describe  it.  To  be  appreciated,  it  must  be  read  and 
pondered.     Job  is  crushed  under  it,  and  exclaims,  in  the  deepest 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  317 

humiliation  and  penitence,  "  Behold,  I  am  vile ;  what  shall  I  an- 
swer? I  lay  my  hand  upon  my  mouth.  I  abhor  myself,  and 
repent  in  dust  and  ashes !  "  The  friends  of  Job  are  sharply  rebuked, 
and  entreat  him  to  make  intercession  for  them.  Job  is  restored  to 
health,  and  to  more  than  his  former  prosperity,  is  blessed  with 
another  family,  and  ends  his  days  in  peace. 

S. — Do  3'ou  suppose  that  God  literally  spake  with  an  audible 
voice  on  this  awful  occasion? 

F. — I  have  no  doubt  of  it.  He  often  spoke  face  to  face  with  the 
patriarchs, — but  never,  unless  on  the  top  of  Sinai,  with  such  god- 
like sublimity  and  solemnity  as  at  this  time. 

S. — As  the  book  of  Job  belongs  to  the  patriarchal  age,  it  must  be 
of  great  interest  to  know  what  religious  opinions  and  observances  pre- 
vailed at  that  early  period.     Will  j^ou  please  indicate  some  of  these  ? 

F. — Job  and  his  friends  all  believed  in  the  existence  of  one  God 
— the  Supreme,  the  Infinite,  the  Almighty.  They  regarded  him  as 
the  creator  of  the  world,  and  as  its  rightful  governor.  They  be- 
lieved in  the  existence  of  angels,  an  order  of  spiritual  beings 
superior  to  ourselves,  some  of  whom  were  holy — "  the  sons  of  God," 
and  some  were  sinful.  Man,  in  the  time  of  Job,  was  regarded  as  a 
depraved  and  sinful  being.  "  What  is  man  that  he  should  be  clean, 
and  he  that  is  born  of  a  woman  that  he  should  be  righteous  ?  Who 
can  bring  a  clean  thing  out  of  an  unclean  ?  Not  one  "  (Chap.  xiv. 
15).  These  men  also  believed  in  the  necessity  of  repentance  and 
reconciliation  with  God  ;  and  that,  if  men  would  repent,  they  should 
be  forgiven.  "  Acquaint  now  thyself  with  him,  and  be  at  peace  ; 
thereby  good  shall  come  unto  thee."  "If  thou  retimi  to  the 
Almighty,  thou  shalt  be  built  up  ;  thou  shalt  put  away  iniquity  far 
from  thy  tabernacle  "  (Chap.  xxii.  21,  23).  The  patriarchs  believed 
that  God  was  to  be  worshiped  by  sacrifices  and  burnt  offerings, 
designed  originally  to  point  to  the  one  great  sacrifice  that  was  to 
be  made  for  the  world.  It  was  in  this  way  that  Job  sought  to 
make  expiation  for  the  sins  of  his  children ;  and  that  the  sins  of  his 
friends  were  to  be  expiated.     (Chap.  i.  5,  6  ;  xlii.  8). 


318  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Did  Job  believe  in  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments? 

F. — Yes  ;  and  (as  I  think)  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body. 
This  is  intimated  in  one  of  the  passages  commonly  referred  to  to 
prove  the  contrary.  "  Man  lieth  down,  and  riseth  not ;  till  the 
heavens  be  no  more,  they  shall  not  awake,  nor  be  raised  out  of  their 
sleep"  (Chap.  xiv.  11,  12).  Here  is  a  clear  intimation  that,  tvhen 
the  heavens  are  no  more, — tvhen  the  last  great  day  shall  come,  there 
ivill  he  a  general  resurrection.  But  the  same  great  truth  is  more 
explicitly  set  forth  in  another  passage.  "  I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth ; 
and  though  after  my  skin,  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh 
shall  I  see  God  ".(Chap.  xix.  26,  27).  I  adopt  the  common  render- 
ing of  this  disputed  passage,  for  two  reasons  :  First,  it  is  the  more 
obvious,  natural  rendering,  and  has  been  so  admitted  by  the  most 
eminent  interpreters.  And,  secondly,  the  connection  clearly  indi- 
cates that  something  of  great  importance  is  about  to  be  uttered — 
something  that  must  never  be  lost  sight  of  or  forgotten.  "  O  that 
my  words  were  now  written  !  O  that  they  were  printed  in  a  book ! 
That  they  were  graven  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  for- 
ever !  "  After  such  an  introduction,  what  might  we  expect  that  the 
Patriarch  was  about  to  say?  That  he  expected  to  be  healed  of  his 
sores,  and  to  stand  forth  again  a  restored  and  prosperous  man  ?  Or 
should  we  not  expect  him  to  say  something  wonderful  and  glori- 
ous, more  important  than  anything  he  had  ever  said?  In  short, 
should  we  not  expect  him  to  say  just  what,  I  think  he  does  say :  "  I 
know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,"  etc.  To  my  own  mind,  there  can 
be  no  question  here.  Nor  do  I  deem  it  improbable  that  God  should 
vouchsafe  to  his  tried  and  afflicted  servant  a  truth,  which  had  not 
before  been  so  clearly  revealed,  but  which,  in  later  times,  was  often 
repeated,  that  the  great  Redeemer  of  lost  men  would  one  day  come 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  to  judge  the  world  in  righteousness,  and 
vindicate  and  save  his  once  aspersed  but  beloved  people. 

/S'. — I  have  but  one  more  question  on  this  wonderful  book.     We 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  319 

are  told  that,  on  Job's  recovery  and  restitution,  he  had  the  same 
number  of  children  given  him,  that  he  had  before.  Is  it  likely  that 
they  were  by  the  same  mother? 

F. — I  cannot  speak  with  confidence  on  this  point.  We  have  no 
account  of  the  death  of  Job's  wife  ;  and  as  his  trial  may  not  have 
lasted  more  than  a  year,  she  may  have  lived  to  have  another  family. 
Most  interpreters,  however,  suppose  a  second  wife. 


CONVERSATION  XL. 

THE  PSALMS. — What  they  are. — Their  purpose  and  the  authors. — Original  and  ancient 
division. — The  peculiarity  of  Hebrew  poetry. — The  imprecations  of  the  Psalms. — The 
glory  of  infidels. — The  perplexity  explained. — Inspiration  of  David. — Value  of  the 
Psalms  to  Christians. 

Son. — What  are  the  Psalms  ? 

Father. — They  are  a  collection  of  Hebrew  lyrics,  designed  (or 
the  most  of  them)  to  be  sung  in  the  temple,  and  in  the  public 
worship  of  the  Israelites.  Nor  has  their  use  been  limited  to  the 
church  of  Israel.  They  were  sung  in  the  assemblies  of  the  primi- 
tive Christians.  They  still  have  a  place  in  all  our  churches,  and 
will  continue  to  have,  to  the  end  of  time. 

^S'. — Who  were  the  authors  of  them  ? 

F. — About  half  of  them  are  expressly  ascribed  to  David  ;  and  he 
probably  wrote  many  that  have  no  inscriptions.  Twelve  of  the 
Psalms  are  ascribed  to  Asaph  ;  twelve  to  the  sons  of  Korah,  or  for 
the  sons  of  Korah,  who  were  singers ;  five  are  said  to  have  been 
written  for  other  singers,  as  Heman,  Ethan,  and  Jeduthun  ;  two 
were  written  for  Solomon  ;  and  one — the  ninetieth — was  written 
"by  Moses,  the  man  of  God."  One  certainly — perhaps  more — 
were  written  after  the  captivity  (Ps.  cxxxvii). 

S. — Most  of  the  Psalms  are  prepared  with  inscriptions.  How 
much  credit  is  to  be  given  to  these  inscriptions  ? 

F. — Some  writers  think  them  of  equal  authority  with  the  Psalms ; 
but  this  is  not  generally  admitted.  They  are  very  ancient,  however, 
— are  written  in  the  Hebrew  language  and,  in  general,  may  be 
regarded  as  correct.  The  ascriptions  to  David,  to  Asaj^h,  and  to 
Moses  are  obviously  correct. 

S. — You  speak  of  the  Psalms  as  a  collection  of  sacred  Ij^rics. 
Who  are  supposed  to  have  collected  them  ?  And  by  what  author- 
ity did  they  act  ? 

F. — The  Psalms  were  not  all  collected  at  once.  They  were 
divided  anciently  into  five  sections.     The  first  closes  with  the  forty- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  321 

first  Psalm,  and  is  composed  entirely  of  the  Psalms  of  David.  It 
ends  with  this  sublime  inscription  :  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  from  everlasting  and  to  everlasting.     Amen,  and  Amen." 

The  second  section  extends  from  Psalm  forty-second  to  Psalm 
seventy-one.  These  Psalms  are  ascribed  to  different  authors,  and 
the  whole  ends  with  these  words :  "  The  prayers  of  David  the  son 
of  Jesse  are  ended." 

The  third  section  extends  from  Psalm  seventy-two  to  eighty-nine. 
It  contains  but  one  of  David's  Psalms,  and  closes  with  the  followincr 
ascrij^tion  :  "  Blessed  be  the  Lord  forevermore.     Amen,  and  Amen." 

The  fourth  section  is  a  short  one,  extending  from  Psalm  ninety 
to  one  hundred  and  six.  With  two  or  three  exceptions,  these 
Psalms  are  anonymous,  and  their  authors  unknown.  The  section 
closes  with  the  same  ascription  as  the  fourth. 

The  fifth  and  last  section  extends  from  Psalm  one  hundred  and 
seventh  to  the  end.  It  is  of  a  miscellaneous  character,  and  was 
probaby  intended  to  gather  up  such  of  the  scattered  Hebrew  songs 
as  were  suitable  for  public  worship.  Many  of  them,  I  have  no 
doubt,  belonged  to  David. 

The  first  two  of  these  sections  may  have  been  collected  in  the 
time  of  David,  and  under  his  eyo. ;  the  third  and  fourth  during  the 
time  of  the  kings  ;  and  the  last  subsequent  to  the  captivity.  They 
were  all  collected  and  arranged  by  Divine  authority  and  by  inspired 
men.  The  last  collection,  and  indeed  the  whole,  must  have  passed 
under  the  ej'e  of  Ezra. 

>S'. — The  Psalms,  we  all  know,  are  poetical  compositions.  What 
do  you  regard  as  the  great  peculiarity  of  Hebrew  poetr}-  ? 

F. — The  poetry  of  the  Hebrews  does  not  run  in  rhyme,  or  rhythm. 
Its  leading  peculiarity  is  the  parallelism,  consisting  in  a  repetition 
of  the  main  thought  in  a  following  proposition,  thus  :  "  Thou  shalt 
tread  upon  the  lion  and  adder ;  the  young  lion  and  the  dragon 
shalt  thou  trample  under  feet "  (Ps.  xci.  13).  "Lo,  thine  enemies, 
O  Lord  I  for  lo,  thine  enemies  shall  perish  ;  all  the  workers  of 
iniquity  shall  be  scattered."     "  The  righteous  shall  flourish  as  the 


322  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


palm  tree  ;  he  shall  grow  like  a  cedar  in  Lebanon  "  (Ps.  xcii.  9,  12). 
In  some  instances,  the  sentiment  is  repeated  more  than  once  :  "  The 
floods  have  lifted  up,  O  Lord !  the  floods  have  lifted  up  their  voice ; 
the  floods  lift  up  their  waves"  (Ps. xciii.  3). 

In  several  of  the  Psalms,  we  find  an  artificial  arrangement,  as  the 
choruses  in  the  136th,  adapting  them  to  the  use  of  the  great  choir 
of  singers  in  the  temple.  The  arrangement  of  the  119th  Psalm  is 
very  peculiar.  It  is  divided  into  twenty-two  sections — the  number 
of  the  Hebrew  letters,  and  each  of  the  verses  in  the  several  sections 
commences  with  the  letter  with  which  the  section  is  headed.  Thus 
each  of  the  eight  verses  under  the  head  of  Aleph  commences,  in 
the  Hebrew,  with  Aleph  ;  and  each  of  the  eight  verses,  under  the 
head  of  Beth,  commences  with  Beth.  Whether  the  verses  of  this 
long  Psalm  were  so  arranged  to  assist  the  memory,  or  for  some 
other  purpose,  we  do  not  know.  The  general  subject  of  the  Psalms 
is  the  lau\  the  testimonies.,  the  statutes,  the  commandments, — in 
other  Avords,  the  revealed  truth  and  ivill  of  God,  setting  forth  their 
excellence  and  their  happy  results.  The  whole  has  been  compared 
to  a  string  of  beads,  the  several  verses  having  little  connection  one 
with  another,  except  that  they  all  relate  to  the  same  general  topic. 
Whether  David  composed  and  arranged  this  long  Psalm,  or  whether 
it  was  put  together  by  some  subsequent  compiler,  it  is  impossible 
to  tell.  Its  noble  sentiments,  as  well  as  the  position  in  which  it 
stands,  all  go  to  proclaim  it  the  word  of  the  living  God. 

S. — The  Psalms  taken  together  are  certainly  a  Divine  book ;  but 
there  are  passages  in  them, — I  refer  to  the  imprecations, — which 
sometimes  trouble  me.  Will  you  favor  us  with  j'-our  opinion  in 
respect  to  them? 

F. — The  imprecations  in  the  Psalms, — over  which  infidels  have 
long  gloried,  and  with  which  good  people  are  often  perplexed, — are 
not  of  so  difficult  interpretation  as  is  commonly  supposed.  Some 
of  them  are  mere  predictions  of  what  tvill  overtake  the  wicked,  with- 
out expressing  any  malevolent  desire.  Others  may  be  regarded  as 
a  description  of  feelings  entertained  at  the  time,  without  endorsing 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  323 

or  justifying  the  feelings  expressed;  in  which  case,  inspiration  is 
only  responsible  for  giving  an  accurate  description.  This  remark 
ma}'  perhaps  apply  to  the  closing  verses  of  the  137th  Psalm.  The 
writer  of  this  Psalm, — either  during  his  residence  in  Babylon,  or 
after  his  return, — sets  himself  down  to  describe  the  feelings  of  the 
captives.  "  B}^  the  rivers  of  Babylon,  there  we  sat  down  ;  we  wept 
when  we  remembered  Zion.  We  hanged  our  harps  upon  the 
willows,  in  the  midst  thereof :  For  there,  they  that  carried  us  away 
captive  required  of  us  a  song  ;  and  they  that  wasted  us  required  of 
us  mirth,  saying.  Sing  us  one  of  the  songs  of  Zion.  How  shall  we 
sing  the  Lord's  song  in  a  strange  land?"  The  description,  thus 
commenced,  goes  on,  obviousl}',  to  the  end  of  the  sixth  verse  ;  and 
why  not  suppose  it  to  reach  to  the  end  of  the  Psalm  ?  The  captives 
in  their  misery  are  represented  as  saying,  "  O  daughter  of  Babylon 
which  art  to  be  destroj'ed !  happy  shall  he  be  that  rewardeth  thee 
as  thou  hast  served  us  !  Happy  shall  he  be  that  taketh  and  dasheth 
thy  little  ones  against  the  stones  !  "  This  is  what  the  writer  of  the 
Psalms  affirms  that  the  captives  said  and  sung  at  the  time.  He  gives 
a  faithful  account  of  it,  without  endorsing  the  sentiment  exjDressed. 

But  most  of  the  imprecations  in  the  Psalms  are  to  be  regarded  as 
Divine  denunciations  against  the  wicked.  David  was  an  insj)ired 
prophet  of  God.  As  the  anointed  ruler  of  Israel,  he  stood  in  the 
place  of  God  ;  and  through  him  God  denounced  the  severest  judg- 
ments upon  the  wicked, — as  he  does  in  thousands  of  other  places  in 
the  Bible.  Nor  are  these  denunciations  more  severe  or  unaccount- 
able than  some  Avhich  fell,  or  will  yet  fall,  from  the  lips  of  the 
Savior.  "  Woe  unto  you.  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  " 
"  Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
his  angels. 

*S'. —  If  I  understand  you,  you  would  assume  the  inspiration  of 
David,  in  accounting  for  his  imprecations. 

F. — ]Most  certainly  I    would.     If  we  were  to  regard  David,  in 

some  of  his  imprecations,  as  speaking  out  of  his  own  private  feel- 

,  and  mixing  them  up,  as  they  often  are,  with  his  highest  and 


324  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

devoutest  aspirations,  this  would  indeed  be  unaccountable.  But 
when  we  regard  him  as  the  prophet  of  God,  standing  in  the  place  of 
God,  and  giving  utterance  to  G-od's  denunciations  against  the 
wicked,  the  whole  aspect  of  the  thing  is  changed.  We  can  under- 
stand now  what  it  might  be  difficult  to  explain  on  any  other  suppo- 
sition. 

S. — How  do  you  account  for  it  that  these  Psalms  have  been  so 
precious  to  the  people  of  God  in  all  ages, — not  only  to  those  for 
whom  they  were  first  written,  but  to  Christians  everywhere — to 
Christians  now  ? 

F. — I  account  for  it,  in  the  first  place,  because  they  are  so 
admirably  adapted  to  the  worship  of  God ;  and  worship  is  sweet  to 
the  children  of  God  everywhere,  and  at  all  times.  Then  the  Psalms 
are  ever  precious  to  the  people  of  God,  because  they  deal  so  largely 
in  religious  experience.  A  religious  man  is  rarely,  if  ever,  placed 
in  circumstances  where  he  will  not  find,  in  the  Psalms,  something 
appropriate  to  his  case.  Hence,  in  sickness,  in  bereavements,  in 
persecutions,  in  old  age,  and  on  the  bed  of  death,  the  Psalms 
become  an  invariable  and  most  valuable  companion.  To  the  end 
of  the  world,  the  Psalms  will  occupy  the  same  place,  in  religious 
experience,  which  they  now  do.  To  the  end  of  the  world,  they  will 
impart  solace  to  the  afflicted,  and  peace  to  tlie  dj-ing,  as  they  have 
done  for  thousands  of  years  that  are  past. 


CONVERSATION  XLI. 

THE  PROVEKBS.— Was  SoIoihod  the  autlior  of  them  all.— The  three  thousand  prov- 
erbs.— King  Lemuel. — Location  of  his  kingdom. — The  design  of  the  Proverbs. — Why 
they  seldom  refer  to  the  Sabbath. — Remarks  regarding  their  style. — Their  practical 
value  and  adaptation  to  mankind. 

Son. — This  book  is  called,  in  the  first  verse  of  it,  "  the  Proverbs 
of  Solomon."     Did  Solomon  write  the  whole  of  it  ? 

Father. — He  did  not.  The  first  six  verses,  which  are  intro- 
ductory, and  the  two  last  chapters,  he  did  not  write.  Possibly,  he 
may  not  have  originated  some  of  the  Proverbs.  But  of  the  book 
in  general,  he  was  the  author. 

aS'. — Are  there  any  sectional  divisions  in  this  book,  as  in  the 
Psalms  ? 

F. — Yes ;  there  are  five.  Commencing  with  the  seventh  verse  of 
the  first  Chapter,  the  first  section  extends  to  the  close  of  Chapter 
ninth.  This  section  consists,  not  of  short  pithy  Proverbs,  but  of 
moral,  religious  instruction  and  warning,  drawn  out  to  considerable 
length.  The  second  section  consists  entirely  of  Proverbs,  and 
reaches  to  Chapter  xxii.,  IT.  The  third  section  commences  with 
the  exhortation  :  "  Bow  down  thine  ear,  and  hear  the  words  of  the 
wise."  This  section,  as  to  the  form  of  it,  is  like  the  first,  and  con- 
tinues to  the  end  of  Chapter  xxiv.  Thus  far,  the  book  may  have 
been  prepared  and  published  in  the  days  of  Solomon.  The  fourth 
section  commences  with  the  twenty-fifth  chapter,  and  contains 
"the  Proverbs  of  Solomon  which  the  men  of  Hezekiah,  king  of 
Judah  copied  out."  Of  course,  this  part  of  the  book  was  annexed 
to  the  preceding,  some  three  hundred  years  after  Solomon  was  dead. 
These  "  men  of  Hezekiah "  had  a  large  amount  of  material  from 
which  to  select ;  since  we  are  told  that  "  Solomon  spake  three 
thousand  Proverbs." 

The  fifth  section  comprises  the  two  last  chapters  which  Solomon 
never  saw.  They  contain  "  the  words  of  Agur,"  and  "  the  words 
of  king  Lemuel."     Tliey  may  have  been  annexed  to  the  book  by 


326  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


the  "men  of  Hezekiah,"  and  the  whole  collection  was  thns  com- 
pleted.    The  introduction  seems  to  have  been  written  at  the  same 

time. 

S. — What  are  we  to  think  of  Wisdom,  which  speaks  so  impress- 
ively in  the  eighth  chapter  of  this  book  ?  Is  it  a  personified  attri- 
bute of  God  ?  or  is  it  the  Son  of  God  ? 

F. — If  it  is  a  personification  of  the  Divine  Wisdom,  its  voice  is 
entitled  to  the  most  reverent  attention.  It  is  the  voice  of  God. 
But  I  incline  to  regard  it,  not  as  a  personification  at  all,  but  as  the 
veritable  Logos,  the  Son  of  God.  This  agrees  entirely  with  the 
account  which  the  speaker  gives  of  himself.  "  The  Lord  possessed 
me  in  the  beginning  of  his  way,  before  his  works  of  old.  I  was  set 
up  from  everlasting,  from  the  beginning,  or  ever  the  earth  was. 
When  he  prepared  the  heavens,  I  was  there ;  when  he  set  a  compass 
upon  the  face  of  the  depth,  then  was  I  by  him,  as  one  brought  up 
with  him,  and  I  was  daily  his  delight,  rejoicing  always  before  him." 
Nearly  all  the  ancient  and  most  modern  expositors  have  regarded 
the  speaker  here  as  the  Christ.  And  the  changes  which  subse- 
quently passed  upon  the  original  Avord  indicate  the  same.  This 
word  was  well  translated  by  the  Seventy,  sojjhia.  This  was  changed 
by  Philo  and  other  Alexandrian  critics  into  logos  ;  and  this  word 
the  Apostle  John  appropriately  adopts  as  a  name  of  Christ.  Thus 
the  Logos  of  John  may  be  traced  historically  back  to  the  original 
word  translated  wisdom  in  the  Proverbs. 

S. — Who  were  Agur  and  the  king  Lemuel  spoken  of  in  the  two 
last  chapters  of  the  Proverbs  ? 

F. — According  to  the  rendering  in  our  English  version,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  say  who  they  were.  That  they  were  Israelites  is  evident,  since 
these  chapters  were  written  originally  in  Hebrew.  But  what  Israel- 
itish  king  or  kingdom  existed  in  or  near  Palestine,  in  the  times  of 
the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel,  Avho  can  tell?  Professor  Stuart 
gets  some  light  on  the  subject  from  a  passage  of  the  sacred  history 
recorded  in  1  Chron.  iv.  39-43.  It  seems  from  these  verses  that,  in 
the  days  of  King  Hezekiah,  a  band  of  the  Simeonites  migrated  into 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  327 

Idumea  in  quest  of  pasture  for  their  flocks.  They  destroyed  the 
original  inhabitants,  and  there  formed  a  little  community  or  king- 
dom for  themselves.  This  territory  was  originally  called  Massa,  from 
Massa,  one  of  the  sons  of  Ishmael  who  settled  there  (see  Gen.  xxv. 
14).  Massa  is  rendered  jt?rop7iec_y  in  our  translation  ;  but  Professor 
Stuart  makes  it  a  proper  name,  and  thus  translates  the  first  verse  of 
Proverbs,  Chapter  xxx.  "  The  words  of  Agur,  the  son  of  her  who 
ruled  in  Massa,  '  I  have  toiled  for  God,  I  have  toiled  for  God,' "  i.  e. 
to  find  the  knowledge  of  God,  "  and  have  ceased.  Surely,  I  am  more 
brutish  than  any  man,  and  have  not  the  understanding  of  a  man." 

King  Lemuel,  Professor  Stuart  thinks  may  have  been  the  brother 
of  Agur,  and  succeeded  his  mother  in  the  government  of  jNIassa. 
The  first  verse  of  chapter  thirty-first  is  thus  translated :  "  The 
words  of  Lemuel,  king  of  Massa,  which  his  mother  taught  him." 
This  supposition  accounts  for  a  Hebrew  community  outside  of  Pal- 
estine, in  the  time  of  Hezekiah,  and  meets  all  the  exigencies  of  the 
case.  If  the  translation  of  Professor  Stuart  is  admissible,  we  feel 
inclined  to  adopt  it.  It  throws  light  on  one  of  the  darkest  portions 
of  the  Old  Testament. 

*S'. — We  will  pass  from  the  dark  and  the  difficult  in  the  book  of 
Proverbs  to  things  which  are  more  obvious.  What  do  3-ou  regard 
as  the  main  design  and  object  of  the  book  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly,  the  main  design  was,  to  inculcate  practical  wis- 
dom in  managing  the  common  intercourse  and  affairs  of  life.  In 
its  main  aspects,  it  is  moral,  social,  practical.  Still,  the  subject  of 
religion  is  not  ignored.  Its  first  Avords  (after  the  introduction)  are, 
"  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  knowledge  ;  "  and  this 
sentiment  is  never  lost  sight  of  or  forgotten.  Its  warnings  are, 
some  of  them,  most  impressive,  and  its  denunciations  terrible. 
Witness  the  latter  part  of  the  first  chapter :  "  Wisdom  crieth  with- 
out," etc.,  to  the  end. 

*S'. — How  do  3'ou  account  for  it  that  there  is,  in  the  book  before 
us,  so  little  reference  to  the  Sabbath,  and  to  the  religious  rites  and 
festivals  of  the  Israelites? 


328  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


F. — Not,  surely,  on  the  ground  that  these  rights  were  neglected 
in  the  days  of  Solomon,  or  that  he  set  no  value  upon  them.  The 
truth  is,  he  had  no  occasion  to  speak  of  them  particularly.  They 
did  not  come  within  his  plan.  The  magnificent  temple  which  he 
built,  and  the  costly  service  which  he  established  there,  show  in 
what  estimation  he  held  the  rites  of  his  religion;  but  in  a  book 
like  that  before  us  they  would  have  been  out  of  place. 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  further  as  to  the  style  and  method  of 
this  book  ? 

F. — It  is  written  after  the  usual  manner  of  the  Hebrew  poets. 
We  find  the  parallelism  everywhere.  In  its  proverbial  style,  it 
seems  to  have  created  a  pattern,  rather  than  followed  one.  In  the 
subsequent  ages,  this  method  of  inculcating  truth  became  exceed- 
ingly popular  all  over  the  East.  We  have  examples  of  it  in  the 
aphorisms  of  the  son  of  Sirach,  and  in  what  is  called,  in  the 
Apocrypha,  "the  Wisdom  of  Solomon."  For  long  ages,  the  wis- 
dom of  the  East  flowed  chiefly  in  this  channel.  Pithy  sayings,  not 
homilies;  pointed  maxims,  and  not  long  discourses,  prevailed  every- 
where. And  this  mode  of  teaching  has  its  advantages.  It  makes 
an  impression,  and  is  much  more  likely  to  be  remembered. 

The  book  of  Proverbs  is  emphatically  one  for  all  time.  As  man 
is  essentially  the  same  being,  at  all  times  and  in  all  places,  the  rules 
and  principles  here  laid  down  apply  to  him  everywhere.  There  is 
very  little  in  the  book  of  Proverbs  which  is  not  as  applicable  to  us 
in  these  days,  as  it  was  to  the  Hebrews  three  thousand  years  ago. 
The  value  of  such  a  book, — couched  in  such  pithy  and  pungent 
language, — must  be  in  the  future,  as  it  is  now,  very  great.  Its 
usefulness  will  cease  only  when  men  cease  to  live  and  act  like  men 
in  all  their  social  and  civil  relations.  In  other  words,  it  will  not 
cease  till  earth  and  time  shall  be  no  more. 


CONVERSATION  XLII. 

ECCLESIASTES.— "\^1iy  so  called.— Ancient  Hebrew  name.— Its  author. —Tlie  plan.— 
Considered  a  drama  by  some. — Other  opinion.s. — The  question  of  the  piety  of  Solomon. 
— Evidences  of  his  repeutance  and  recovery. — The  grand  object  of  wise  men  at  this 
period. — Valuable  lessons  to  be  derived  from  this  book. 

Son. — Why  is  this  book  called  Ecclesiastes  ? 

Father. — This  is  the  name  given  to  it  by  the  Septiiagint  transla- 
tors. The  Hebrew  name  of  the  book  is  CoheletJi., — both  words 
signifjdng  preacher.  The  book  may  well  be  called  the  preacher  ;  or 
more  properly,  perhaps,  a  preachment^  a  discourse.  It  is  a  discourse, 
which  may  have  been  delivered,  originally,  to  an  assembled  multi- 
tude of  Israelites,  and  recorded,  under  a  Divine  inspiration,  to  be 
read  in  their  assemblies,  and  in  the  church  of  God,  to  the  end  of 
time. 

S. — Who  was  the  author  of  the  book  ? 

F. — I  agree  with  the  Rabbins,  and  with  almost  the  entire  body  of 
commentators,  ancient  and  modern,  in  regarding  Solomon  as  the 
author  of  this  book.  Indeed,  I  see  not  how  this  opinion  should 
ever  have  been  called  in  question.  In  the  first  verse  of  the  book, 
the  writer  says :  "  The  words  of  the  preacher,  the  son  of  David, 
king  of  Jerusalem."  But  none  of  the  sons  of  David,  except  Solo- 
mon, ever  was  king  of  Jerusalem.  And  much  that  the  M^riter  says 
of  himself,  in  other  parts  of  the  book,  agree  to  Solomon  and  to  no 
one  else. 

*S'. — At  what  period  of  his  life  is  it  supposed  that  Solomon  wrote 
this  book? 

F. — It  must  have  been  written  by  him  late  in  life.  Much  of  the 
language  of  the  book  is  manifestly  the  language  of  j^ears — of  long- 
continued  observation  and  experience.  "  I  made  me  great  works, 
I  builded  me  houses ;  planted  me  vineyards  ;  made  me  gardens  and 
orchards,  and  pools  of  water  to  water  the  same.  I  got  me  servants 
and  maidens,  and  had  servants  born  in  my  house."     To  be  able  to 

21 


330  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

say  this,  and  much  more  of  the  same  sort,  the  writer  must  have 
lived  a  course  of  years.  In  the  last  chapter  of  the  book,  the  author 
presents  himself  before  us  as  an  old  man.  With  him,  the  period 
had  arrived  when  "  The  grasshopper  was  a  burthen,"  and  "  desire 
failed."  The  years  had  come,  in  which  he  was  constrained  to  say, 
"  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them." 

S. — What  may  we  regard  as  the  plan  of  this  book  ? 

F. — Critics  differ  on  this  point.  Some  speak  of  it  as  a  drama, 
where  there  are  several  speakers,  each  giving  utterance  to  his  own 
opinions.  But  who  these  speakers  are,  and  where  they  are  intro- 
duced— where  the  drama, — if  it  be  one, — begins  or  ends,  no  one 
can  tell.  The  whole  has  the  appearance  of  having  been  uttered  by 
one  speaker.     The  preacher,  the  author  of  it  is  one. 

S. — Some  critics  regard  the  book  as  a  regular,  methodical  treat- 
ise concerning  the  highest  good  of  man,  showing  in  what  it  does 
not  consist,  and  in  what  it  does. 

F. — I  know  they  do ;  and  they  go  so  far  as  to  point  out  the  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  discourse, — the  introduction,  the  divisions,  the 
topics  of  argument,  the  peroration,  etc.  But  to  common  minds, 
these  different  sections  of  the  book  are  not  obvious.  Indeed, 
it  is  not  likely  that  the  royal  preacher  had  any  particular  plan  or 
method  in  mind,  in  writing  the  book  before  iis. 

S. — What  then  is  the  general  design  and  subject  of  the  book  ? 

F. — In  the  course  of  his  life,  Solomon  had  mingled  largely  with 
the  world.  He  had  amassed  its  riches,  he  had  attained  its  honors, 
he  had  pursued  and  enjoyed  its  pleasures  to  the  full ;  and  when  he 
had  run  the  whole  giddy  round,  and  made  a  complete  experiment, 
he  sits  down,  under  a  Divine  inspiration,  to  record  the  result,  as  he 
had  learned  it  in  his  own  experience.  And  he  does  it  in  the  most 
emphatic  terms — terms  which  lie  at  the  basis,  and  constitute  the 
motto,  the  text,  of  the  entire  discourse :  "Vanity  of  vanities,  saith 
the  preacher  ;  vanity  of  vanities,  all  is  vanity." 

And  as  it  was  experience  which  led  Solomon  to  the  choice  of  his 
text,  so  the  greater  part  of  the  discourse  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  rela- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  331 

Hon  of  his  oion  personal  experience.  At  least,  tliis  is  the  idea  which, 
as  it  seems  to  me,  we  are  to  carry  with  us  through  the  entire  book, 
if  we  woukl  rightly  understand  it.  We  are  to  regard  it  as  proceed- 
ing from  Solomon  the  aged,  and  to  be,  in  great  measure,  an  account 
of  tlie  workings  of  his  own  mind — a  narrative  of  what  he  had  seen, 
thought  and  felt,  purposed  and  accomplished,  during  his  eventful 
life,  and  of  the  conclusions  to  which  he  was  solemnly  brought  at 
the  close  of  it.  Mingled  with  the  narrative,  there  would  be,  we 
might  expect,  many  wise  suggestions  and  counsels ;  and  so,  in  fact, 
we  find  them.  Here  are  striking  analogies,  weighty  instructions, 
solemn  warnings,  pungent  reproofs ;  but  the  leading  idea,  running 
through  the  whole,  is  that  of  experieiice :  carrying  this  idea  along 
with  us,  it  will  not  be  hard  to  understand  those  parts  of  the  book, 
which  have  been  regarded  as  of  most  difficult  interpretation. 

S. — Do  you  regard  Solomon  as  a  truly  pious  man  ? 

F. — Most  certainly  I  do.  He  became  pious  in  his  youth.  It  is 
said  of  him,  in  early  life,  that  "  he  loved  the  Lord  exceedingly."' 
Think  also  of  his  prayers,  at  the  time  of  his  inauguration,  and  at 
the  dedication  of  the  temple,  and  of  the  glorious  answers  with 
which  his  supplications  were  crowned.  It  was  not  till  the  eleventh 
year  of  his  reign  that  the  temple  was  dedicated,  when  he  offered 
that  memorable  dedicatory  prayer  ;  and  it  was  several  years  after 
this,  that  "the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  the  second  time,"  and 
renewed  his  gracious  promises,  on  condition  of  continued  fidelity; 
while  at  the  same  time  he  severely  threatened  him,  in  case  he 
declined.  It  may  be  said  of  Solomon  therefore, — we  hope  it  may, 
— that,  during  the  greater  part  of  his  reign,  he  walked  in  the  ways 
of  David  his  father. 

*S'. — How  do  you  account  for  the  declension  and  fall  of  so  good  a 
man  as  Solomon? 

F. — Of  course,  I  cannot  assign  any  good  reason  for  it ;  and  yet  it 
was  not  a  strange  or  unaccountable  occurrence.  It  could  hardly 
be  expected  of  a  good  man,  who  plunged  so  deej^ly  into  the  world 
— who  drank  so  largely  of  the  Circean  cup,  that  he  should  escaj^e 


332  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

unliarmed.  In  the  earnest  pursuit  of  knowledge  and  of  wealth,  in 
the  possession  of  increased  and  increasing  honors,  in  the  indul- 
gence, to  satiety,  of  sensual  pleasures,  and  some  of  them  forljidden 
pleasures,  his  heart  became  engrossed,  his  conscience  blunted,  and 
his  affections  were  drawn  away  from  God.  In  the  simple  but 
expressive  language  of  Scripture,  "when  Solomon  was  old,  his 
wives  turned  away  his  heart  after  other  gods." 

S. — How  long  did  Solomon's  declension  probably  continue  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know  definitely ;  but  as  he  was  advanced  in  life 
before  it  commenced,  and  he  was  undoubtedly  recovered  from  it 
before  he  died,  we  may  hope  that  it  did  not  continue  very  long. 
And  while  it  did  continue,  Solomon  was  not  as  one  who  had  never 
loved  the  Lord.  "  His  wisdom,"  we  are  told,  "  remained  with  him." 
He  had  desires,  endeavors,  struggles,  conflicts,  monitions  of  con- 
science, and  strivings  of  the  Spirit,  such  as  are  known  only  to  the 
child  of  God.  The  workings  of  his  great  mind  at  this  melancholy 
period  must  have  been  very  peculiar,  and  to  record  them  for  the 
benefit  of  others,  seems  to  have  been  a  principal  object  with  him  in 
writing  Ecclesiastes. 

S. — What  seems  to  have  been  a  problem  with  the  wise  men  of 
the  East,  at  the  time  of  Solomon  ? 

F. — It  was  to  discover  the  summum  bonum — the  chief  good  of 
man.  Solomon  went  into  this  investigation.  He  sought  to  dis- 
cover "  what  is  that  c/ood  for  the  sons  of  men  which  they  should 
do  under  heaven,  all  the  days  of  their  life."  The  method  which 
he  took  in  pursuing  this  inquiry  was  not  one  of  philosophical  spec- 
ulation, but  of  induction,  of  fact.  As  he  had  abundant  means  for 
making  the  experiment,  he  determined  to  test  it  in  his  own  experi- 
ence. And  so  we  find  him,  according  to  his  own  account  of  the 
matter,  turning  this  way  and  that,  chasing  first  this  phantom  and 
then  that,  and  pronouncing  one  after  another  to  be  "  vanity  and 
vexation  of  spirit."  "  I  said  in  my  heart,  Go  to  now,  I  will  prove 
thee  with  mirth ;  therefore,  enjoy  pleasure.  And  behold  this  also 
is  vanity  "  (Chap.  ii.  1). 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  333 

Again  :  "  I  sought  in  my  heart  to  give  myself  unto  wine,  and  to 
lay  hold  on  folly.  I  made  me  great  works  ;  I  builded  me  houses ; 
I  planted  me  vineyards,  etc.  And  whatsoever  my  eyes  desired,  I 
kept  not  from  them.  I  withheld  not  my  heart  from  any  joy. 
Then  I  looked  on  all  the  work  of  my  hands,  and  on  all  the  labor 
that  I  had  labored  to  do,  and  behold  all  was  vanity  and  vexation 
of  spirit,  and  there  was  no  profit  under  the  sun  "  (Chap.  ii.  3-11). 

Still  another  experiment  Solomon  tells  us  of.  "  I  applied  my  heart 
to  know  and  to  seek  out  wisdom,  and  the  reason  of  things,  and  to 
know  the  wickedness  of  folly,  even  of  foolishness  and  madness. 
And  I  find  more  bitter  than  death  the  woman,  whose  heart  is  snares 
and  nets,  and  her  hands  as  bands"  (Chap.  vii.  25-28). 

S. — Does  Solomon  confess  to  his  having  had  improper,  sinful 
thouglits  at  times? 

F. — Yes,  often.  At  one  time,  he  said  in  his  heart,  "  As  it  hap- 
peneth  to  the  fool,  so  it  happeneth  even  to  me;  and  why  was  I  then 
more  wise  ?  This  also  is  vanity."  Again  he  said,  "  There  is  noth- 
ing better  for  a  man,  than  that  he  should  eat  and  drink,  and  that 
he  should  make  his  soul  enjoy  good  in  his  labor  "  (Chap.  ii.  15,  24). 
When  he  "  considered  all  the  oppressions  that  are  done  under  the 
sun,  and  the  tears  of  such  as  were  oppressed,  and  they  had  no 
comforter,  then,"  says  he,  "I  praised  the  dead  which  are  already 
dead,  more  than  the  living  which  are  yet  alive  "  (Chap.  iv.  1,  2). 

When  Solomon  saw  that  "  there  be  just  men  unto  whom  it  hap- 
peneth according  to  the  work  of  the  wicked ;  and  that  there  be 
wicked  men  unto  whom  it  happeneth  according  to  the  w^ork  of  the 
righteous ;  then,"  says  he,  "  I  commended  mirth ;  because  a  man 
hath  no  better  thing  under  the  sun  tlian  to  eat,  drink,  and  be 
merry ;  for  that  shall  abide  with  him  of  his  labor  all  the  days  of 
his  life"  (Chap.  viii.  14,  15). 

On  one  occasion,  Solomon  expresses  the  following  strange  opin- 
ions :  "  All  things  come  alike  to  all.  There  is  one  event  to  the 
righteous  and  to  the  wicked  ;  to  the  good,  to  the  clean,  and  to  the 
unclean ;  to  him  that  sacrificeth,  and  to  him    that  sacrificeth  not. 


334  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

As  is  the  good,  so  is  the  sinner ;  and  he  that  sweareth,  as  he  that 
feareth  an  oath  "  (Chap.  ix.  2). 

At  another  time,  he  was  so  much  beside  himself  as  to  believe  and 
say  :  "  That  which  befalleth  the  sons  of  men  befalleth  beasts ;  even 
one  thing  befalleth  them.  As  the  one  dieth,  so  dieth  the  other  ; 
yea,  they  have  all  one  breath ;  so  that  a  man  hath  no  pre-eminence 
above  a  beast"  (Chap.  ix.  19,  20). 

S. — If  I  understand  you,  you  think  that  Solomon  is  not  here 
expressing  his  present  matured  opinions.,  but  rather  telling  what  his 
thoughts  had  been  at  different  times — relating  his  past  experience 
— confessing  the  vain  and  simple  thoughts  which  Re  had  at  times 
indulged. 

F. — Exactly  so  ;  and  these  expressions  are  not  to  be  quoted  as 
the  word  of  God,  or  the  word  of  Solomon  in  his  sober,  sanctified 
state,  but  rather  as  a  confession  of  evil  thoughts  which  had  been 
obtruded  upon  him,  in  seasons  of  temptation. 

S. — We  are  much  obliged  to  you,  father,  for  your  explanation 
of  the  dark  passages  above  quoted.  They  relieve  the  book  of 
one  of  the  strongest  objections  ever  made  to  it,  and  are  quite 
satisfactory.  Let  us  now  turn  to  more  agreeable  topics.  Is 
there  not  much  holy,  revealed  truth  brought  out  in  the  book  be- 
fore us? 

F. — There  certainly  is.  We  have  here  set  before  us  not  only  the 
vanity  and  emptiness  of  the  world,  but  the  being,  the  perfections, 
the  sovereignty  and  providence  of  God.  We  are  impressively 
taught  the  evil  nature  and  terrible  consequences  of  sin.  We  are 
taught  the  immortality  of  the  human  spirit,  wliich,  when  the  body 
returns  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  is  said  to  return  to  God  who  gave  it. 
We  also  learn  the  certainty  of  a  coming  judgment,  and  of  a  future 
and  righteous  retribution.  "  Know  thou  that,  for  all  these  things, 
God  will  bring  thee  into  judgment."  "  God  shall  bring  every  work 
into  judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or 
whether  it  be  evil." 

S. — We  have  heard  of  Solomon's  declension  in  his  old  agre.     Is 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  335 

there  sufficient  evidence  in  the  book  before  us  of  his  repentance 
and  recovery  ? 

F. — I  think  there  is.  We  know  the  temptations  which  beset  and 
overcame  Solomon.  We  know  the  courses  of  worldliness  and  sen- 
suality upon  which  he  entered,  and  which  proved  the  occasion  of 
his  fall.  And  now  in  the  book  before  us,  he  makes  full  and  honor- 
able confession  of  all  this.  He  tells  us  that  he  did  enter  upon 
these  forbidden  courses,  and  toliy  he  entered  upon  them,  and  how 
they  proved  to  him  a  "  vexation  of  spirit " — a  source  of  anguish 
"more  bitter  than  death."  He  goes  into  particulars  on  this  painful 
subject,  palliating  nothing,  concealing  nothing,  and  disclosing  the 
humiliating  and  terrible  results  to  which  he  successively  came. 

S. — Is  there  not  something  peculiar  in  the  phraseology  of  Solo- 
mon's confessions  ? 

F. — There  certainly  is.  The  fool,  with  Solomon,  is  a  wicked 
man,  and  madness  and  folly  are  equivalent  to  transgression  and  sin. 
When  he  tells  us,  therefore,  that  he  "  gave  his  heart  to  know  mad- 
ness and  folly,"  and  "  to  lay  hold  on  folly,"  this  is  a  solemn  confes- 
sion of  guilt.  The  phrase  "  vexation  of  spirit,"  so  frequently 
recurring,  is  one  of  peculiar  intensity.  It  imports  contrition  of 
spirit,  a  breaking  of  the  heart. 

The  book  of  Ecclesiastes,  therefore,  or  a  considerable  part  of  it, 
is  to  be  regarded  in  much  the  same  light  as  the  penitential  Psalms 
of  David.  It  is  a  relation,  from  the  life  of  Solomon  himself,  of  his 
own  distressing  experience  in  wandering  away  from  God.  It  is  a 
public  acknowledgment  of  sin  and  guilt.  And  we  can  hardly  con- 
ceive of  a  more  interesting  spectacle  than  to  see  this  great  and 
good  man — this  wisest  of  ancient  kings — assembling  his  courtiers 
and  his  people  round  him,  near  the  close  of  life,  to  tell  them  of  his 
mistakes  and  errors,  and  of  the  pain  which  these  things  gave  him  ; 
to  make  confession  before  them  of  his  sins,  and  to  Avarn  them  from 
following  in  the  same  forbidden  paths  ; — taking  occasion,  at  the 
same  time,  to  utter  the  most  weighty  counsels,  to  publish  the  most 
solemn  truths,  and  to  lead  forward  the  minds  of  all,  whether  young 


5G  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


or  old,  to  the  grand  conclusion,  "  Fear  God  and  keejJ  his  command- 
ments, for  tJus  is  the  whole  duty  of  man." 

S. — Are  there  not  valuable  lessons  of  instruction  to  be  gathered 
from  this  book  ? 

F. — There  are  indeed; — lessons  for  the  aged,  lessons  for  the 
young,  and,  more  especially,  lessons  for  the  tvorldly-minded — those 
that  love  and  pursue  the  world.  Of  all  men  that  ever  lived,  Solo- 
mon had  the  highest  advantages  for  making  a  full  experiment 
of  the  world.  And  he  entered  upon  the  experiment  with  the 
greatest  earnestness.  He  tried  it,  too,  in  all  its  forms.  If  wealth 
can  make  any  one  happy,  it  should  have  made  him  so  ;  for  he  pos- 
sessed it  to  repletion.  He  acquired  gold,  until  he  hardly  knew  what 
to  do  with  it.  So  if  worldly  honor  can  make  any  mortal  happy, 
it  should  have  had  this  effect  upon  Solomon ;  for  he  had  climbed 
all  its  steeps,  and  reposed  securely  on  its  summit.  Or  if  worldly 
and  sensual  pleasures  can  confer  happiness,  then  Solomon  must 
have  been  superlatively  happy  ;  for  he  denied  himself  no  gratifica- 
tion of  this  sort.  He  withheld  not  his  heart  from  any  joy.  Or  if 
true  happiness  is  to  be  found  in  outward  splendor  and  magnifi- 
cence, or  in  the  successful  accomplishment  of  great  undertakings, 
then  Solomon  must  have  been  a  happy  man.  For,  in  respect  to 
these,  he  excelled  all  the  monarchs  of  the  East.  His  fame  went 
abroad  to  distant  nations,  and  kings  came  together  to  hear  his 
wisdom,  and  to  see  his  glory. 

Such,  then,  was  the  experiment  which  Solomon  actually  and 
personally  made.  Such  was  the  extent  to  which  he  tried,  pursued, 
acquired,  and  possessed  the  world.  And  what  was  the  result? 
Solomon  has  recorded  it — recorded  it  in  mature  old  age — truly  and 
faithfully  recorded  it — recorded  it' with  the  pen  of  inspiration. 
And  what  is  it?  Lovers  of  the  world  hearken.  What  is  it? 
''  Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  preacher,  vanity  of  vani- 
ties, ALL  IS  VANITY."  "  I  tried  this  experiment,"  saith  the  preacher, 
"  and  I  found  it  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.  I  tried  that,  and  I 
found  it  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.     I  tried  a  third,  and  it  was 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  337 

vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.     And  so  it  was  with  them  all ;  all 
was  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit." 

Lovers  of  the  world,  is  not  this  enough?  Ought  not  this  to 
satisfy  3'ou  ?  Having  tried  everything  earthly,  and  found  it  vain, 
Solomon  repaired  anew  to  the  unfailing  source  of  good.  He  came 
back  to  the  fountain  of  living  waters.  To  fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments  he  found  to  be  the  whole  duty  and  the  highest 
happiness  of  man.  Let  my  world-loving  readers  come  to  the  same 
conclusion,  and  they  shall  experience  the  same  result. 


CONVERSATION  XLIII. 

SONG  OF  SOLOMON. — Is  this  an  inspired  book,  and  does  it  belong  to  the  canon  of  the 
Old  Testament  1 — Its  estimation  among  the  Jews. — How  considered  among  early  Chris- 
tians.— A  Hebrew  love-song  three  thousand  years  old. — An  allegory. — Evidences  given. 
— Indelicacies. — This  explained. — The  general  design  of  the  book. 

Son. — There  can  be  no  question  about  the  author  of  this  book, 
since,  in  the  first  verse,  it  is  expressly  ascribed  to  Solomon.  But 
do  you  think  this  an  inspired  book  ?  Does  it  belong  to  the  canon 
of  the  Old  Testament  ? 

Father. — I  certainly  think  it  an  inspired  book,  if  it  belongs  to  the 
Bible  ;  for  Paul  tells  us  that  "  all  iSWipture  is  given  by  inspiration 
of  God."  And  that  it  belongs  to  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament^ 
that  old  Testament  which  our  Savior  read,  endorsed,  and  sanc- 
tioned, is  indubitable.  It  must  have  been  a  part  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment at  least  two  hundred  years  before  Christ  was  born ;  since  it  is 
found  in  the  Septuagint,  and  has  always  made  a  part  of  that  cele- 
brated translation. 

tS. — How  was  it  estimated  among  the  Jews,  and  by  Christians  in 
former  times  ? 

F. — Among  the  Jews,  it  has  ever  been  held  in  the  highest  estima- 
tion. Rabbi  Akiba,  who  lived  in  the  second  century  after  Christ, 
sa3'S :  "  No  man  in  Israel  ever  doubted  the  canonicity  of  the  Song 
of  Songs  ;  for  the  course  of  ages  cannot  vie  with  the  day  when  that 
song  was  given  to  Israel.  All  the  sacred  books  are  indeed  holy 
things  ;  but  this  is  as  the  hol}^  of  holies."  Other  distinguished 
Jewish  writers  speak  of  it  in  the  same  wa3^  And  the  same  may  be 
said  of  most  of  the  Christian  fathers.  This  book  has  been  greatly 
esteemed,  also,  by  some  of  the  most  pious  men  of  modern  times, 
such  as  Leighton,  Rutherford,  President  Edwards  and  McCheyne. 
Describing  his  feelings  at  a  time  of  high  religious  enjoyment,  Presi- 
dent Edwards  says :  "  The  whole  book  of  Canticles  used  to  be 
pleasant  to  me,  and  I  used  to  be  much  in  reading  it  about  that  time  ; 
and  I  found  from  time  to  time  an  inward  sweetness  in  it,  that  would 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  339 

carry  me  away  in  my  contemplations."  Indeed,  tlie  spirit  of 
Edwards,  in  liis  seasons  of  high  enjoyment,  is  just  that  in  Avhich  this 
book  can  best  be  studied  and  estimated.  It  is  not  the  men  of  his 
stamp,  but  dry,  cold,  barren  critics  who  have  faulted  it  and  been 
inclined  to  reject  it. 

>S'. — The  song  is  manifestly  a  drama.  Who  are  the  principal 
speakers — the  dramatis  personce  ? 

F. — The  principal  speakers  are  Shelomoh  and  Shelomith,  or  Solo- 
mon and  his  bride.  There  is  also  a  chorus  of  virgins,  called 
"  Daughters  of  Jerusalem  ;  "  and  near  the  close,  two  brothers  of 
Shelomith  appear,  and  each  of  them  speaks  twice  (Chap.  viii.  8). 
Literally,  this  song  is  a  Hebrew  love-song,  written  three  thousand 
years  ago ;  but  interpreted  allegorically,  it  is  beautiful  and  instruct- 
ive, setting  forth  the  love  of  Christ  for  his  church,  and  the  delight- 
ful and  everlasting  union  between  them. 

*S'. — But  what  reasons  have  yow  for  thinking  it  an  allegory? 
Wliat  authority  for  giving  it  such  an  interpretation  ? 

F. — My  first  reason  for  thinking  it  an  allegory  is,  its  place  in  the 
Old  Testament.  The  canon  of  the  old  Testament  was  settled  by 
inspired  men  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon,  and  chiefly, 
it  is  supposed,  under  the  direction  of  Ezra.  Now  if  the  writing 
before  us  had  been  a  mere  love-song,  Ezra  would  never  have 
admitted  it  into  the  canon,  nor  would  it  have  been  retained  there 
through  the  intervening  ages,  till  the  coming  of  Christ. 

Then  the  figure  of  marriage,  here  employed,  is  of  continual 
occurrence,  in  both  Testaments,  to  set  forth  the  union  between  the 
Lord  and  his  church.  I  need  not  refer  to  passages.  They  will 
occur  to  every  reader  of  the  Bible.  We  find  this  representation 
even  in  heaven.  "  Come  hither,"  says  the  revealing  angel,  "  and  I 
will  show  you  the  bride.,  the  Lamb's  ivife  "  (Rev.  xxi.  9).  The  song 
of  Solomon  is  but  the  personifying,  the  putting  into  the  concrete,  of 
the  general  representation  of  Scripture  on  the  subject. 

Things  are  also  said  in  this  song,  both  of  the  bride  and  by  her, 
which  can  never  be  interpreted  literally.     If  they  are  not  allegory, 


340  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

they  are  a  monstrosity.  The  bride  is  compared  to  a  "  company  of 
horses,  in  Pharaoh's  chariots"  (Chap.  i.  9).  She  is  "comely  as 
Jerusalem,  and  terrible  as  an  army  with  banners"  (Chap.  vi.  4). 
Her  "neck  is  like  a  tower  of  David,  builded  for  an  armory, 
whereon  they  hang  a  thousand  bucklers,  all  shields  of  mighty  men  " 
(Chax5.  iv.  4).  "Thy  neck  is  as  a  tower  of  ivory;  thine  eyes  like 
the  fish-pools  in  Heshbon ;  thy  nose  is  as  the  tower  of  Lebanon  ; 
thy  head  upon  thee  is  like  Carmel"  (Chap.  vii.  4).  And  so  far 
from  being  offended  with  such  bombast  as  this,  the  bride  says  of 
herself:  "I  am  a  wall,  and  my  breasts  are  like  towers"  (Chap, 
viii.  10).  Representations  such  as  these  may  well  find  a  place  in 
an  eastern  allegory,  but  they  could  never  belong  to  a  literal  love- 
song  anywhere.     The  comparisons  employed  forbid  it. 

I  may  further  add,  that  the  Jewish  critics  have  always  understood 
the  Song  of  Solomon  as  an  allegory;  and  in  this  they  have  been 
followed  by  the  great  body  of  Christian  writers,  both  in  ancient 
and  modern  times.  Even  Rosenmuller,  though  a  rationalist,  decides 
for  the  allegorical  interpretation,  as  the  only  one  possible. 

S. — But  does  not  the  Song  contain  indelicate  expressions,  such 
as  cannot  be  supposed  to  belong  to  an  inspired  book  ? 

F. — There  are  fewer  expressions  of  this  sort  than  is  generally 
supposed ;  and  those  which  occur  are  chiefly  owing  to  the  transla- 
tion. AVitli  regard  to  the  question  of  delicacy,  the  views  of  people 
change  with  every  generation.  The  English  language  in  the  time 
of  Elizabeth,  compared  with  that  of  the  present  day,  is  full  proof 
of  this.  In  a  poem  or  drama  three  thousand  years  old,  we  may 
well  expect  some  deviation  from  our  present  notions  of  propriety 
and  delicacy ;  though  it  will  not  be  found  greater  in  the  Song  of 
Solomon,  when  properly  translated,  than  in  Hesiod  or  Homer,  or 
even  Spenser  or  Shakespeare. 

S. — Assuming  then  the  allegorical  interpretation  of  the  Song, 
what  do  you  regard  as  its  general  design  and  import  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly  to  set  forth  the  mutual  love  of  Christ  and  his 
people, — the    vicissitudes,  the  trials,  the  backslidings,  the  repent- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  341 

ings,  and,  finally,  the  eternal  and  perfect  union  of  the  church  with 
its  Lord  and  Savior.  And  all  this  it  does  most  impressively  set 
forth.  No  wonder,  then,  that  this  book  has  been,  and  is,  so  dear  to 
the  more  spiritual  of  God's  children.  No  wonder  that,  among  all 
the  Songs  of  Solomon,  this  should  have  been  selected  as  "  the  Song 
of  Songs  " — the  chiefest  and  sweetest  of  them  all. 


CONVERSATION  XLIV. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— Nature  of  the  prophetical  office.— 
The  first  prophet. — The  succession  till  the  time  of  the  kiugs. — Elijah  and  Elisha. — The 
prophets  of  Baal  slain. — Ascension  of  Elijah. — Miracles  of  Elisha. — No  writings  of 
either  left. 

Son. — Since  we  are  now  to  review  a  long  succession  of  prophets, 
permit  me  to  inquire  as  to  tlie  nature  and  design  of  the  prophetical 
office. 

Father. — The  prophets  derived  their  office,  as  they  did  their 
messages,  directly  from  God.  The  office  was  not  hereditary,  nor 
was  it  created  by  a  popular  election,  or  by  any  form  of  human 
appointment.  The  work  of  the  prophets  was  very  different  from 
that  of  the  priests.  The  priests  approached  God,  in  behalf  of  the 
people  ;  but  the  prophets  approached  the  people,  in  behalf  of  God. 
They  were  his  ambassadors,  sent  to  reprove  the  wickedness  of  men, 
to  denounce  judgments  upon  them,  and  urge  them  to  repentance. 
They  were  sent  also  to  encourage  and  comfort  the  people  of  God,  by 
promises  and  predicted  rewards.  Their  office  and  work  were  more 
like  those  of  the  gospel  minister,  than  like  that  of  the  Jewish  priest. 

S. — Was  there  not  a  succession  of  prophets,  even  from  the  first  ? 

F. — Yes  ;  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam  was  a  prophet ;  and  so 
were  Noah,  and  Abraham,  and  Moses,  and  Samuel,  and  David,  and 
many  others.  But  we  are  now  concerned  with  those  who  followed 
David,  and  lived  in  the  times  of  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah. 
We  begin  with 

ELIJAH   AND   ELISHA. 

*S'. — Pray  tell  us  what  you  know  of  the  great  prophet  Elijah. 

F. — We  know  nothing  of  his  early  history.  He  breaks  upon  us 
like  Melchizedek,  without  any  mention  of  father  or  mother,  or 
beginning  of  days.  He  is  called  the  Tishbite,  either  from  Tishba,  a 
city  beyond  the  Jordan,  or  from  a  Hebrew  root  signifying  to 
reform.     In  the  latter  case,  he  might  be  called  Elijah  the  reformer. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  343 

*S'. — What  was  the  state  of  things  in  Israel,  when  Elijah  was  called 
forth? 

F. — It  was  a  time  of  great  corruption  and  wickedness.  Ahab 
had  married  Jezebel,  a  Phoenician  princess,  and,  in  addition  to 
the  calves  of  Jeroboam,  had  introduced  the  worship  of  Baal  and 
Ashtaroth — the  gods  and  goddesses  of  Tyre.  He  built  a  temple  for 
Baal  in  the  new  city  of  Samaria,  and  set  up  an  altar,  and  made  a 
grove,  where  all  sorts  of  impurities  were  practiced.  He  was  the 
first  to  set  an  example  of  persecution  in  Israel,  by  slaying  the 
prophets  of  the  Lord.  "  He  did  more  to  provoke  the  God  of  Israel 
to  anger,  than  all  the  kings  that  were  before  him." 

To  him  was  Elijah  sent,  for  the  first  time,  with  this  message : 
"  There  shall  not  be  dew  nor  rain  these  years,  but  according  to  my 
word."  The  denunciation  began  at  once  to  be  inflicted ;  and  the 
result  Avas  a  terrible  famine,  in  which  all  the  vegetation  of  the 
country  was  dried  up.  Meanwhile,  Elijah  was  directed  to  hide  him- 
self by  the  brook  Cherith,  beyond  Jordan,  where  he  was  fed  by 
the  ravens  for  a  whole  year.  And  when  the  brook  was  dried  up, 
he  was  sent  by  God  to  Zarephath,  a  city  not  far  from  Sidon.  Here 
he  lodged  with  a  poor  widow,  whose  barrel  of  meal  and  cruise  of  oil 
were  not  suffered  to  fail,  during  his  stay  at  her  house.  Her  dead 
son  was  also  restored  to  life,  at  the  word  of  Elijah. 

The  famine  had  now  continued  three  years  and  a  half  when,  at 
the  command  of  God,  Elijah  once  more  presented  himself  before 
Ahab.  And  when  the  king  charged  upon  him  the  distress  of  the 
land,  he  flung  back  the  charge  upon  the  king  himself,  and  offered  to 
decide  the  question  between  God  and  Baal,  by  a  miracle  from  heaven. 
The  trial  took  place  on  the  top  of  Carmel,  where  Elijah  confronted 
and  confounded  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  priests  of  Baal.  No  fire 
appeared  to  consume  their  sacrifice,  though  Baal  was  the  reputed 
god  of  fire  ;  while  the  fire  of  Israel's  God  descended,  and  consumed 
the  sacrifice  of  Elijah,  and  licked  up  the  very  water  in  the  trenches 
about  his  altar.  Seizing  the  favorable  opportunity,  Elijah  at  once 
demands,  and  the  king  consents,  that  the  priests  of  Baal  shall  be 


344  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

slain.     At  the  prayer  of  the  prophet,  a  cloud  now  arises  from  the 
Mediterranean,  and  rain  in  abundance  descends  to  water  the  land. 

Elijah  hoped,  it  may  be,  that  this  timely  relief  might  soften  the 
heart  of  the  Avicked  Jezebel,  and  he  consented  to  go  down  with  the 
king  to  Jezreel ;  but  hearing  that  she  was  angry  and  threatened  his 
life,  he  made  his  escape. 

IS. — And  where  did  he  go  ? 

F. — He  fled  beyond  the  bounds  of  Palestine  into  the  deserts  of 
Arabia,  and  concealed  himself  at  Horeb,  the  mount  of  God.  Here 
the  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  a  still  small  voice,  rebuked  the 
despondency  of  the  prophet,  and  directed  him  to  return  into  the 
land  of  Israel.  On  his  way  he  was  to  anoint  Hazael  to  be  king 
over  Syria,  and  Jehu  to  be  king  over  Israel,  and  Elislia  to  be  his 
successor  in  the  prophetical  office.  He  first  found  Elisha,  and 
anointed  him.     The  others  were  anointed  at  a  later  period. 

S. — After  this,  what  do  we  hear  of  Elijah  ? 

F. — He  seems  to  have  remained  several  years  in  retirement,  when 
he  was  called  again  to  confront  Ahab.  He  met  him  at  the  field  of 
Naboth  the  Jezreelite,  whom  he  had  plundered  and  murdered,  and 
told  him,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  that  he  would  requite  him  blood 
for  blood ;  that  his  seventy  sons  should  all  be  slain  ;  and  that  the 
dogs  should  feast  on  the  flesh  of  Jezebel, — all  which  in  a  little  time, 
was  terribly  fulfilled. 

S. — What  more  can  you  tell  us  of  this  wonderful  prophet  ? 

F. — After  the  death  of  Ahab,  he  retires  again  from  the  scene. 
But  he  is  at  length  called  forth  to  deal  with  Ahaziah,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded to  his  father's  throne.  Ahaziah,  having  met  with  an  injury, 
sent  to  consult  with  Baalzebub,  the  god  of  Ekron,  in  regard  to  the 
issue  of  his  disease.  Elijah  is  directed  by  God  to  go  forth  and  meet 
the  messengers  of  the  king,  and  assure  them  that  he  should  not 
recover.  After  the  consuming  of  two  bands  of  fifty  which  Ahaziah 
sent  for  Elijah's  apprehension,  he  at  length  appeared  before  the 
king,  and  repeated  the  denunciation  which  he  had  before  given. 

This   was   his   last   public    eifort  for  the  reformation  of  Israel. 


I 


II 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  347 

After  visiting  the  schools  of  the  prophets  at  Bethel,  Gilgal,  and 
Jericho,  in  company  with  Elisha,  the  two  prophets  crossed  the 
Jordan,  whose  waters  were  divided  to  let  them  pass.  And  as  they 
walked  on  together,  "  behold  there  appeared  a  chariot  of  fire,  and 
horses  of  fire,  and  parted  them  asunder,  and  Elijah  went  up,  by  a 
whirlwind,  into  heaven." 

*S'. — Do  we  hear  anything  farther  from  Elijah  in  the  sacred  his- 
tory? 

F. — In  the  days  of  Jehorara,  son  of  Jehoshapjiat  king  of  Judah, 
several  years  after  the  translation  of  Elijah,  there  came  a  writing 
to  him  from  the  old  prophet,  reproving  him  for  his  wickedness,  and 
denouncing  upon  him  the  sorest  judgments  (2  Chron.  xxi.  12). 
Whether  this  writing  came  directly  from  heaven,  or  whether  the 
prophet  (foreseeing  the  wickedness  of  Jehoram)  had  left  it  for  him 
before  his  ascension,  I  pretend  not  to  say.  It  seems  to  have  had 
no  good  effect  upon  Jehoram. 

Once  more  we  hear  of  Elijah  in  the  sacred  history.  He  visited 
the  earth,  in  company  with  Moses,  at  the  transfiguration  of  Christ, 
and  conversed  with  him  respecting  liis  approaching  decease  at  Jeru- 
salem (Matt.  xvii.  3). 

S. — Just  before  the  ascension  of  Elijah,  Elisha  said  to  him ;  "  I 
pray  thee,  let  a  double  portion  of  thy  Spirit  rest  on  me."  What 
was  the  purport  of  this  request  ? 

F. — ]My  own  opinion  is,  that  he  wished  to  be  endowed  with 
miraculous  gifts,  as  fully  as  Elijah  had  been.  We  know  that,  in 
the  Apostolic  age,  the  bestowment  of  the  Spirit  by  the  laying  on 
of  hands  generally  meant  no  more  than  this  (see  Acts  x.  46).  It 
is  certain  that  immediately  after  the  ascension  of  Elijah,  Elisha 
began  to  work  miracles.  For  on  returning  over  the  Jordan,  he 
smote  the  waters  with  Elijah's  mantle,  and  they  parted  asunder 
to  give  him  a  passage.  And  when  the  sons  of  the  prophets  saw  it, 
they  said,  "  The  Spirit  of  Elijah  dost  rest  on  Elisha."  And  during 
the  remainder  of  his  long  life,  miracles  were  wrought  by  Elisha,  as 
they  had  been   by  Elijah.     He  filled   the  valley  with  water,  and 

22 


348  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

saved  the  armies  of  Israel  and  Judah,  when  they  were  perishing 
with  thirst  (2  Kings  iii.  20).  He  saved  the  widow  of  one  of  the 
prophets  and  her  family,  by  miraculously  increasing  her  pot  of  oil 
(2  Kings  iv.  4).  He  raised  to  life  the  son  of  the  Shunamite  (2 
Kings  iv.  35).  He  also  healed  Naaman  of  his  leprosy ;  he  caused 
the  iron  ax  to  swim ;  he  smote  with  blindness  those  who  were 
sent  by  the  King  of  Syria  to  apprehend  him  ;  he  relieved  Samaria 
in  a  time  of  siege  and  famine ;  and  after  his  death,  a  dead  man  was 
raised  to  life,  by  being  thrown  into  Elisha's  grave  (2  Kings 
xiii.  21). 

By  a  series  of  miracles  such  as  these  was  the  attempt  made  to 
save  the  Israelites  from  idolatry,  and  from  that  ruin  which  im- 
pended over  them.  Elisha  had  less  sternness  and  force  of  character 
than  his  predecessor,  and  was  not  qualified,  like  him,  to  deal  with 
such  sinners  as  Ahab  and  Jezebel.  His  miracles  were  all  of  them 
miracles  of  mercy.  He  lived  more  than  ninety  years,  and  was  sin- 
cerely mourned  for  at  his  death  by  Joash,  a  grandson  of  Jehu, 
whom  he  had  caused  to  be  anointed  king  of  Israel. 

S. — To  which  of  the  Israelitish  kingdoms  did  Elijah  and  Elisha 
minister  ? 

F. — Almost  exclusively  to  the  ten  tribes. 

S. — Did  either  of  them  leave  anything  in  writing  ? 

F. — Nothing,  unless  it  be  Elijah's  letter  to  the  king  of  Judah. 
Neither  of  them  is  to  be  numbered  among  the  sacred  writers. 


CONVERSATION  XLV. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— Jonah,  Hosea  and  Amos.— Jonah  and 
his  work. — First  of  tho  prophets  sent  to  the  heathen. — His  call. — Attempts  to  evade  it. 
— The  result. — The  great  fish. — Speculation  concerning  it. — False  or  true. — Startling 
effect  of  his  preaching  in  Nineveh. — God's  veracity. — Jonah's  gourd. — Hosea. — His  pre- 
dictions and  peculiar  style. 

Son. — What  prophets  in  Israel  next  follow  Elijah  and  Elisha  ? 

Father. — The  four  following  were  nearly  contemporaries,  viz.^ 
Jonah,  Hosea,  Joel,  and  Amos.  They  prophesied  in  the  reigns  of 
Uzziah,  Joth-am,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah,  and  of  Jero- 
boam II.,  king  of  Israel.     We  begin  with 

JONAH. 

aS'. — Who  was  Jonah,  and  where  did  he  exercise  his  ministry  ? 

F. — He  was  the  son  of  Amittai  of  Gath-hepher,  and  labored 
chiefly  among  the  ten  tribes.  That  he  lived  in  the  reign  of  Jero- 
boam II.,  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  and  predicted 
the  great  success  of  his  arms,  is  certain  from  2  Kings  xiv.  26. 
He  (Jeroboam)  restored  the  coast  of  Israel  from  the  entering  in 
of  Hamath  unto  the  sea  of  the  plain,  according  to  the  word  of  the 
God  of  Israel,  which  he  spake  by  the  hand  of  his  servant  Jonah, 
the  son  of  Amittai,  the  prophet,  which  was  of  Gath-hepher. 

S. — To  what  self-denying  labor  was  Jonah  next  called  ? 

F. — The  success  of  his  predictions  regarding  the  conquests  of 
Jeroboam  may  have  given  him  popularity  in  Israel,  and  brought 
him  into  favor  with  the  king ;  and,  with  a  view  to  try  him,  God 
directs  him  alone,  of  all  the  ancient  prophets,  to  go  on  a  mission 
to  the  heathen.  "  Arise,  go  to  Nineveh,  that  great  city  " — the 
greatest  city  then  in  the  world — the  capital  of  the  vast  Assyrian 
empire — "  and  cry  against  it ;  for  their  wickedness  has  come  up 
before  me." 

S. — And  how  did  Jonah  regard  this  call  ? 

F. — He  thought  the  labor,  the  hazard,  the  sacrifice  too  great,  and 


360  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

he  could  not  submit  to  it.  So  instead  of  going  to  Nineveh,  he 
rose  up  and  went  directly  the  other  way.  He  went  down  to  Joppa, 
the  principal  port  of  Palestine,  and  shipped  himself  to  go  to  Tar- 
shish,  thinking  to  escape  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

S. — Where  was  Tarshish,  of  which  we  hear  so  much  in  the  Old 
Testament  ? 

F. — The  Tarshish  to  which  Jonah  was  fleeing  is  supposed  to 
have  been  Tartessus,  a  city  of  the  Phoenicians  in  the  south  of 
Spain,  so  named  from  a  grandson  of  Japhet  (see  Gen.  x.  4). 
There  was  another  Tarshish  in  the  East,  to  which  the  ships  of  Sol- 
omon and  of  Jehoshaphat  went,  by  the  way  of  the  Red  sea. 

>S'. — What  befell  Jonah  in  his  attempt  to  escape  from  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Lord? 

F. — The  Lord  soon  taught  him  that  he  was  in  every  place,  and 
that  there  is  no  escaping  from  his  presence  or  his  power.  He  sent 
forth  a  great  wind  upon  the  sea,  and  the  ship,  with  all  it  contained 
was  likely  to  be  swallowed  up.  Jonah  confessed  his  sin  to  his  ship- 
mates, and  at  his  own  request, — to  appease  the  Divine  anger, — 
was  thrown  overboard  into  the  sea.  "  Now  the  Lord  had  prepared 
a  great  fish  to  swallow  up  Jonah,  and  he  was  in  the  belly  of  the 
fish  three  days  and  three  nights"  (Chap.  i.  17). 

S. — Do  you  regard  this  story  as  literally  true,  and  worthy  to  be 
believed  ? 

F. — I  do  regard  the  account  as  literally  true ;  for  the  book  of 
Jonah,  unlike  most  of  the  other  prophecies,  is  not  poetry,  but  his- 
tory. And  there  is  nothing  incredible  in  the  stor3\  Great  fishes 
have  often  swallowed  up  men;  and  God  could,  by  a  miracle,  as 
well  preserve  Jonah  in  the  belly  of  a  great  fish,  as  anywhere  else. 
And  when  the  object  of  the  trial  had  been  accomplished,  he  could 
cause  the  fish  to  "  vomit  out  Jonah  upon  the  dry  land."  It  is 
enough  to  establish  the  truth  of  this  miracle,  that  our  Savior  refers 
to  it  as  a  type  of  his  own  burial  and  resurrection  (Matt.  xii.  40). 

S. — After  this  wonderful  deliverance,  what  does  Jonah  do  ? 

F. — He  consents  to  go  to  Nineveh,  and  deliver  his  message.     He 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  351 

accomplishes  the  long  and  tedious  journey,  enters  the  devoted  city, 
and  cries  through  all  the  streets  thereof,  "  Yet  forty  days,  and 
Nineveh  shall  be  destroyed." 

>S'. — And  what  was  the  effect  of  this  startling  cry  ? 

F. — It  was  wonderful,  extraordinary.  "  The  people  of  Nineveh 
believed  God,  and  proclaimed  a  fast,  and  jjut  on  sackcloth,  from 
the  greatest  of  them  even  unto  the  least.  The  king  also  arose  from 
his  throne,  and  laid  aside  his  robe,  and  covered  himself  with  sack- 
cloth, and  sat  in  ashes.  And  he  caused  it  to  be  proclaimed 
throughout  Nineveh,  saying.  Let  not  man  nor  beast,  herd  nor  flock 
taste  anything ;  let  them  not  feed  nor  drink  water.  But  let  man 
and  beast  be  covered  \\\t\\  sackcloth,  and  cry  mightily  unto  God  ; 
yea,  let  every  one  turn  from  his  evil  way,  and  from  the  violence 
that  is  in  his  hands.  Who  can  tell  if  God  will  turn  and  repent, 
and  turn  away  from  his  fierce  anger,  that  we  perish  not?  And 
God  saw  their  works,  that  they  turned  from  their  evil  way ;  and 
God  repented  of  the  evil  that  he  had  said  he  would  do  unto  them, 
and  he  did  it  not  "  (Chap.  iii.  5-10). 

S. — And  in  so  doing,  did  not  God  forfeit  his  veracity  ?  Did  he 
not  fail  of  punishing,  as  he  had  said? 

F. — No  ;  a  simple  threatening  in  no  case  pledges  the  veracity  of 
a  sovereign.  If  so,  it  would  leave  no  room  for  repentance.  The 
denunciation,  in  this  case,  was  intended,  no  doubt,  to  be  condi- 
tional, although  the  condition  is  not  expressed.  "  Yet  forty  days, 
and  Nineveh," — unless  she  repents, — "  shall  be  destroyed."  She 
did  repent,  and  in  mercy  was  spared. 

S. — And  were  Jonah's  feelings,  on  the  sparing  of  the  city,  to  be 
justified  ? 

F. — By  no  means.  They  were  unworthy,  I  do  not  sa}^  of  an 
inspired  prophet,  but  even  of  a  man  of  ordinary  benevolence. 
They  showed  that  he  needed  yet  other  trials,  iu  order  to  his  per- 
fection. 

S. — Is  Jonah  to  be  regarded  as  a  pious  man  ? 

F. — I  hope  so.     His  prayer,  in  Avhat  he  calls  "  the  belly  of  hell," 


352  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


is  one  of  humility,  of  faith,  of  confidence  in  God  ;  and  God  heard 
him,  and  delivered  him.  With  all  his  infirmities  and  imperfections, 
we  trust  Jonah  had  the  grace  of  God  in  his  heart. 

S. — And  what  are  we  to  think  of  the  gourd  which  was  prepared 
to  shelter  him — which  "came  up  in  a  night,  and  perished  in  a 
night  ?  " 

F. — If  it  literally  grew  to  the  size  of  a  tree,  in  a  single  night,  it 
must  have  been  produced  by  a  miracle.  It  was  intended  not  only 
as  a  shelter  for  the  irritable  prophet,  but  as  a  reproof  to  him.  If  he 
felt  so  much  for  a  gourd,  for  which  he  had  not  labored,  should  God 
have  no  feeling  of  compassion  for  a  fasting,  weeping,  and  seemingly 
penitent  city,  "  wherein  were  more  than  six  score  thousand  persons 
too  young  to  discern  between  the  right  hand  and  the  left  ?  " 

HOSEA. 

S. — What  can  you  tell  us  of  the  prophet  Hosea  ? 

F. — Of  his  personal  history  we  know  nothing,  except  that  he  was 
the  son  of  Beeri,  and  that  he  prophesied  "  in  the  days  of  Uzziah, 
Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah,  and  in  the  days  of 
Jeroboam  II.,  king  of  Israel."  He  was  cotemporary  with  Jonah, 
but  probably  outlived  him.  He  labored  chiefly,  but  not  exclusively, 
for  the  ten  tribes.  His  ministry  was  a  long  one,  extending  over  a 
space  of  not  less  than  seventy  years. 

*S'. — How  are  we  to  understand  the  strange  command,  issued  in 
the  very  commencement  of  the  prophecy :  "  Go,  take  thee  a  wife  of 
whoredoms,  and  children  of  whoredoms." 

F. — It  has  been  made  a  question,  whether  this  language  is  to  be 
understood  literally,  or  allegorically.  In  either  case,  the  act  was 
intended  to  be  symbolical,  setting  forth  the  terrible  wickedness  of 
Israel,  in  forsaking  God,  and  worshiping  idols.  In  favor  of  a  literal 
interpretation,  it  is  urged,  that  the  language  plainly  indicates  it, 
showing  no  sign  of  parable  or  figure.  But  to  this  it  may  be  replied, 
that  the  same  is  true  of  other  parables.  Witness  the  parable  of 
Jotham,  in  Judges  ix.  8 :     "  The  trees  went  forth,  on  a  time,  to 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  353 

anoint  a  king  over  them  :  and  they  said  to  the  olive  tree,  Reign 
thou  over  us."  And  when  the  olive  tree  declined,  they  said  the 
same  to  the  fig  tree,  to  the  vine, and  to  the  bramble.  How  do  we 
know  that  Jotham  here  utters  a  parable  ?  It  will  be  said,  no  doubt, 
that,  literally  understood,  his  words  involve  a  physical  impossi- 
bility. And  does  not  the  command  to  Hosea,  literally  understood, 
involve  a  moral  impossibility  ?  It  would  have  been  a  sin  for  Hosea 
to  marry  a  public  prostitute,  and  raise  up  children  of  like  character, 
to  be  called  by  opprobrious  names.  For  what  does  the  marriage 
covenant  imply  ?  That  he  must  love  and  honor  this  wicked  woman, 
that  he  must  cherish  and  comfort  her,  that  he  must  support  her,  live 
with  her,  and  be  to  her  a  faithful  husband  for  life.  Now  for  Hosea 
to  have  bound  himself,  in  covenant,  to  do  all  this  for  such  a  woman 
would  have  been  a  wrong,  a  sin.  And  God  cannot  command  his 
creatures  to  sin.  In  the  progress  of  the  story,  it  appears  that  this 
woman  was  an  adulteress  (Chap,  iii.)  ;  and  yet  the  prophet  was  to 
take  her  as  a  wife.  But  this,  according  to  our  Savior's  teaching, 
would  be  adultery  on  his  part.  "  Whoso  marrieth  "  such  an  one, 
'■'■  committeth  adultery"  (Luke  xvi.  18).  And  could  God  literally 
command  the  prophet  to  commit  adultery  ? 

For  myself,  I  must  confess,  that  I  feel  the  force  of  this  reasoning, 
and  feel  inclined,  with  Calvin,  to  accept  the  whole  story  as  a  para- 
ble. Thus  interpreted,  it  would  answer  the  purpose  of  a  symbol 
just  as  well,  and  the  difficulty  of  a  literal  marriage  would  be 
avoided.  The  parable,  if  it  be  one,  seems  to  go  on  through  the  first 
three  chapters.  The  remaining  chapters  are  chiefly  occupied  with 
the  application  of  it, — pressing  home  upon  the  Israelites  their  horri- 
ble wickedness,  as  illustrated  in  the  story  of  the  adulterous  marriage. 

S. — Does  the  book  of  Hosea  contain  any  obvious  predictions  ? 

F. — There  are  many  predictions  of  the  approaching  overthrow 
of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  which  were  terribly  fulfilled  in  the  inva- 
sion of  Shalmaneser.  There  are  predictions,  also,  of  the  restoration 
of  Israel,  in  the  latter  days.  "  I  will  heal  their  backslidings  ;  I 
will  love  them  freely.     I  will  be  as  the  dew  unto  Israel ;  he  shall 


354  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


grow  as  the  lily,  and  cast  forth  his  roots  as  Lebanon  "  (Chap, 
xiv.  4). 

S. — What  do  you  think  of  the  style  of  this  book  ? 

F. — The  first  three  chapters  are  prose.  The  remainder  is  for 
the  most  part  poetry.  But  whether  poetry  or  prose  the  style  is 
peculiar.  We  find  here  no  full,  flowing  sentences,  after  the  man- 
ner of  Joel,  but  the  utterances  are  short,  abrupt,  and  often  obscure 
and  disconnected.  One  must  read  the  lines  often,  in  order  to  see 
their  connection,  and  understand  them.  In  this  respect,  Hosea 
is  perhaps  the  most  perplexing  to  the  interpreter  of  any  of  the 
Hebrew  prophets. 

S. — And  what  shall  be  said  as  to  the  spirit  of  the  book  ? 

F. — Though  it  abounds  with  denunciation,  still  it  is  not  harsh. 
The  spirit  is  one  of  wounded,  offended  love.  God  is  terribly 
incensed  at  the  unfaithfulness  of  his  people,  his  bride,  but  still  he 
loves  her,  and  cannot  give  her  up.  By  every  mode  of  address,  he 
strives  to  bring  her  back  to  his  embrace,  and  closes  with  the  assur- 
ance that  his  desire,  at  length,  shall  be  accomplished.  "  Ephraim 
shall  say,  What  have  I  to  do  any  more  with  idols  ?  Neither  will 
we  say  any  more  to  the  work  of  our  hands,  Ye  are  our  gods." 


CONVERSATION  XLVI. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— The  prophet  Joel.— Time  of  his 
writing. — His  smooth  and  fluent  style. — Amos. — Originally  a  shepherd. — Condition  of 
Israel  at  this  time. — Division  of  the  book  of  Joel. — Comparison  with  the  other  proph- 
ets.— His  fearful  denunciation  of  the  high  priest. 

Son. — How  much  do  we  know  of  the  prophet  Joel  ? 

Father. — Very  little,  except  what  is  told  us  in  the  first  verse  of 
the  book,  or  may  be  gathered  from  circumstances  incidentally  men- 
tioned in  it.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the  son  of  Pethuel;but  who 
Pethuel  was,  or  in  what  part  of  the  country  he  lived,  we  have  no 
knowledge.  That  Joel  lived  in  Judah,  and  probably  at  Jerusalem, 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that,  while  he  makes  no  reference  to 
the  other  kingdom,  he  speaks  of  Jerusalem,  the  priests,  the  temple, 
the  ceremonies  and  rites,  with  a  familiarity  which  proves  them  to 
have  been  before  his  eyes. 

S. — At  what  period  of  the  Jewish  history  did  he  flourish  ? 

F. — This  can  be  gathered  only  from  incidental  notices.  That  he 
makes  no  reference  to  the  Babylonian,  the  Assyrian,  or  even  the 
Syrian  invasions,  indicates  that  he  wrote  before  these  occurred  or 
were  apprehended.  No  mention  is  made  of  idolatrous  practices  in 
Judah,  but  the  priests  and  peojDle  are  represented  as  harmoniously 
occupied  in  the  services  of  the  temple,  as  prescribed  in  the  law. 
These  circumstances  indicate  that  Joel  may  have  lived  in  the  first 
half  of  the  reign  of  Joash,  while  he  was  under  the  influence  of 
Jehoida,  the  high  priest, — previous  to  the  subsequent  lapse  of  the 
king  into  idolatry.  If  so,  Joel  lived  earlier  than  Jonah,  or  Hosea, 
or  Amos,  and  is  the  oldest  of  the  prophets  whose  writings  have 
come  down  to  us. 

S. — On  what  occasion  did  Joel  lift  up  his  voice  of  warning  and 
exhortation  ? 

F. — The  calamity  impending  was  a  terrible  famine,  occasioned 
by  drought  and  successive  swarms  of  locusts.  On  this  account, 
the  prophet  calls  for  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer,     "  Let  the 


356  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

priests,  the  ministers  of  the  Lord,  weep  between  the  porch  and  the 
altar,  and  let  them  say,  Spare  thy  people,  O  Lord,  and  give  not 
thine  heritage  to  reproach."  On  the  conditions  of  such  fasting, 
penitence  and  prayer,  the  prophet  encourages  the  hope  of  speedy 
deliverance.  "  Then  will  the  Lord  be  jealous  for  his  land,  and  pity 
his  people.  The  Lord  will  answer  and  say  unto  his  people,  Behold 
I  will  send  you  corn,  and  wine,  and  oil,  and  ye  shall  be  satisfied 
therewith "  (Chap.  17-19).  Joel  promises  the  people  a  deliver- 
ance, not  only  from  famine,  but  from  their  enemies,  more  especially 
the  Phoenicians,  who  had  been  plundering  their  borders,  and  selling 
their  children  into  slavery.  Yea,  more  than  this,  he  carries  his  eye 
forward  to  gospel  times,  and  promises  a  glorious  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit,  which  began  to  be  fulfilled  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  ii. 
16).  His  promises  reach  even  to  the  glories  of  the  latter  days. 
"  Judah  shall  dwell  forever,  and  Jerusalem  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration ;  for  the  Lord  dwelleth  in  Zion"  (Chap.  iii.  20). 

*S'. — How  will  you  describe  the  style  of  Joel  ? 

F. — In  respect  to  this,  he  stands  pre-eminent  among  the  Hebrew 
prophets.  He  not  only  possesses  a  singular  degree  of  purity,  but 
is  distinguished  by  smoothness  and  fluency,  and  the  finish  and 
fullness  which  he  gives  to  his  sentences.  He  has  no  abrupt  transi- 
tion like  Hosea,  but  is  everywhere  lucid  and  connected.  What- 
ever of  obscurity  attaches  to  Joel  is  attributable  to  the  subjects  of 
which  he  treats,  and  not  to  the  language  which  he  employs.  In 
studying  these  prophets,  we  see  that  their  inspiration  is  quite 
consistent  with  great  differences  in  point  of  style. 

AMOS. 

S. — You  will  next  tell  us  of  the  prophet  Amos. 

F. — He  was  originally  a  shepherd  of  Tekoa,  a  small  town  in 
Judea,  about  twelve  miles  south-east  from  Jerusalem.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  hard  and  gravelly,  not  fit  for  tillage,  but  suita- 
ble for  the  pasturage  of  sheep  and  goats.  Here  Amos  spent  the 
first  half  of  his  life,  in  an  honorable  calling,  but  probably  in  hum- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  357 

ble  circumstances.  He  tells  us  that  he  "  was  not  a  prophet,  nor 
a  prophet's  son,"  which  means  that  he  had  no  connection  with 
the  schools  of  the  prophets.  Though  a  native  of  Judea,  he  was 
called  to  Bethel,  the  seat  of  one  of  Jeroboam's  calves,  to  publish 
his  message  to  the  ten  tribes.  This  gave  occasion  to  Amaziah,  one 
of  the  idolatrous  priests  of  Bethel,  to  say  to  him :  "  O  thou  seer, 
go,  flee  away  into  the  land  of  Judah,  and  there  eat  bread,  and 
prophesy  there.  But  prophesy  not  again  any  more  at  Bethel ;  for 
it  is  the  king's  chapel,  and  the  king's  court "  (Chap.  vii.  12,  13). 

S. — At  what  time  did  Amos  prophesy,  and  who  were  his  cotem- 
poraries  ? 

F. — He  is  said  to  have  prophesied  "  in  the  days  of  Uzziah  king 
of  Judah,  and  of  Jeroboam  son  of  Joash,  king  of  Israel,  two  years 
before  the  earthquake."  This  earthquake  is  undoubtedly  the 
one  spoken  of  in  Zech.  xiv.  5,  "in  the  days  of  Uzziah  king  of 
Judah."  Hence,  Amos  must  have  been  cotemporary  with  Hosea, 
though  a  little  earlier  ;  and  we  know  that  he  was  later  than  Joel, 
because  he  quotes  from  him.* 

*S'. — In  what  condition  was  the  kingdom  of  Israel  at  this  time  ? 

F. — It  was  a  time  of  great  prosperity  in  Israel.  Under  Jero- 
boam II.,  the  kingdom  was  at  the  zenith  of  its  power.  Still,  it  was 
a  time  of  great  corruption  and  wickedness,  which  no  one  perceived 
or  lamented,  but  all  flourished  together  in  fancied  securit3\  It 
was  under  these  circumstances  that  the  shepherd  of  Tekoa  was 
sent  to  Israel  with  a  message  of  warning,  and  a  solemn  call  to 
repentance  and  reformation. 

*S'. — What  is  the  particular  plan  and  method  of  this  book  ? 

F. — The  book  may  be  divided  into  three  parts.  First ;  sen- 
tences are  pronounced  upon  the  surrounding  nations, — Syria,  the 
Philistines,  the  Phoenicians,  the  Edomites,  the  Moabites,  the  Jews, 
and,  lastly,  upon  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  These  occupy  the  first 
and  second  chapters.  Secondly ;  there  are  special  discourses 
against  Israel, — messages   of  warning,  reproof,    and   lamentation, 

*Corapare  Joel  iii.  16,  with  Amos  i.  2. 


358  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


accompanied  with  repeated  calls  to  repentance  (Chaps,  iii.  to  vi). 
The  third  section  of  Amos,  the  three  last  chapters,  contain  his 
visions  and  revelations,  partly  consolatory,  and  partly  of  a  threat- 
eninrr  character,  closing  with  assurances  of  the  final  restoration  of 
Israel,  and  of  great  prosperity  in  the  latter  days. 

S. — How  does  the  style  of  Amos  compare  with  that  of  the  other 
prophets  ? 

F. — It  is  less  flowing  and  perfect  than  that  of  Joel,  and  less  sen- 
tentious and  abrupt  than  that  of  Hosea.  It  is  the  style  of  an 
earnest,  self-educated  man, — perspicuous  and  strong,  his  images 
mostly  original,  and  taken  from  those  objects  with  which  he  was 
familiar  in  early  life.  In  some  few  instances,  the  style  is  prosaic, 
but  in  general  poetical.  Near  the  close  of  the  book,  his  appeals 
become  so  pungent  and  incisive,  as  to  excite  the  wrath  of  the  high 
priest  of  Bethel,  and  he  complains  of  him  to  the  king ;  and  this 
brings  down  a  terrible  denunciation  upon  the  head  of  the  idolatrous 
high  priest.  "  Thy  wife  shall  be  a  harlot  in  the  city,  and  thy  sons 
and  daughters  shall  fall  by  the  sword,  and  thy  land  shall  be  divided 
by  a  line,  and  thou  shalt  die  in  a  polluted  land,  and  Israel  shall 
surely  go  into  captivity"  (Chap.  vii.  17). 

The  prophecies  of  Amos  and  Hosea,  so  near  the  close  of  the 
Israelitish  monarchy,  are  a  good  illustration  of  the  language  of  God 
to  his  unfaithful  people  by  one  of  these  prophets.  "  How  shall  I 
give  thee  up,  Ephraim !  How  shall  I  deliver  thee,  Israel !  My  heart 
is  turned  within  me,  and  my  repentings  are  kindled  together." 
Before  giving  up  his  people  and  his  land  to  desolation,  he  must  send 
them  prophet  after  prophet,  he  must  oft  repeat  his  warnings  and  his 
urgent  calls  to  repentance  ;  and  it  is  not  until  all  appropriate  means 
have  been  employed  in  vain,  and  his  patience  is  exhausted,  that  the 
haughty  Assyrian  is  sent  to  destroy  their  cities,  and  carry  them  all 
away. 


CONVERSATION  XLVII. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— Isaiah.— The  most  illustrious  of  the 
propliets. — Supposed  to  be  of  royal  descent. — Traditional  account  of  his  death. — Sawn 
asunder  with  a  wooden  saw. — His  alleged  crime. — The  course  of  the  sun  stopped. — Evi- 
dences from  other  nations. — His  eloquence. — Frequent  allusions  to  the  coming  of  Christ. 

ISAIAH. 

Father. — Our  present  subject  is  the  prophet  Isaiah, — by  common 
consent,  the  most  illustrious  of  the  Hebrew  prophets. 

Son. — So  I  have  regarded  him,  and  am  anxious  to  hear  all  that 
you  may  say  in  regard  to  him. 

F. — Of  the  prophet  personally,  and  of  the  time  in  which  he  lived, 
little  is  known  except  what  he  has  told  us.  He  was  the  son  of 
Amoz — not  Amos  the  prophet,  but  another  of  the  same  name, — and 
is  thought  by  some  to  be  of  royal  extraction.  He  resided  at  Jerusa- 
lem, and  discharged  the  prophetic  office  under  the  kings  Uzziah, 
Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah.  He  was  cotemporary,  therefore,  with 
Hosea  and  Amos,  though  in  another  field.  He  survived  Hezekiah, 
and  lived  some  years, — we  know  not  how  long, — under  the  reign  of 
his  cruel  and  wicked  son,  Manasseh.  The  current  tradition  among 
the  Jews  is,  that  he  was  slain  by  Manasseh,  being  sawn  asunder 
with  a  wooden  saw.  And  this  agrees  with  the  inhuman  character 
of  Manasseh  as  given  in  the  Scriptures  ;  for  it  is  said  that  "  he  shed 
innocent  blood  very  much,  till  he  had  filled  Jerusalem  from  one  end 
to  the  other"  (2  Kings  xxi.  16).  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
it  is  said  that  some  of  the  ancient  worthies  "  were  sawn  asunder," 
referring,  probably,  to  the  Jewish  tradition  that  Isaiah  came  to  his 
end  in  this  way. 

S. — What  was  the  crime  alleged  against  Isaiah,  for  which  he  was 
put  to  death  ? 

F. — The  principal  charge,  as  stated  in  the  Talmud,  was,  that 
Isaiah  pretended  that  he  had  seen  God.  "  I  saw  the  Lord  sitting 
upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted  up  "  (Is.  vi.  1)  ;  whereas  Moses  had 


360  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

said,  "  No  man  shall  see  God  aud  live  "  (Ex.  xxxiii.  20).  This,  how- 
ever, was  a  mere  pretense.  The  real  offense  of  Isaiah  undoubtedly 
was,  that  he  was  an  unyielding  oj)poser  of  the  existing  idolatries. 

S. — How  old  must  Isaiah  have  been  at  the  time  of  his  death  ? 

F. — This  cannot  be  ascertained  with  certainty.  He  is  said  by 
the  early  Christians  to  have  lived  one  hundred  and  twenty  years. 
He  sustained  the  prophetical  office  almost  a  hundred  years.  He 
had  a  wife  and  two  sons  whose  hard  names  are  given  in  Chap- 
ters vii.  3,  and  viii.  3. 

S. — Did  Isaiah  commence  his  prophecy  before  the  death  of 
Uzziah  ? 

F. — He  did ;  for  it  is  said  expressly  (Is.  vi.  1),  that  he  had  his 
glorious  vision  of  heaven  "  in  the  year  that  Uzziah  died."  The  five 
previous  chapters  were  probably  written  before  Uzziah's  death. 

S. — Did  Isaiah  utter  any  predictions  during  the  reign  of  Jotham  ? 

F. — We  have  no  positive  evidence  that  he  did.  But  in  the  time 
of  Ahaz,  we  have  an  important  prediction  of  the  Messiah,  under  the 
name  of  Immanuel.  (Chap.  vii.  14.)  We  have  another  prediction 
of  the  Messiah  in  Chap.  ix.  6.  "  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a 
son  is  given ;  and  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder  ;  and 
his  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the  Mighty  God, 
the  everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace."  But  most  of  the 
early  prophecies  of  Isaiah  were  given  during  the  reign  of  Hezekiah. 
From  the  tenth  chapter  onward,  he  denounces  the  judgments  of 
God  upon  the  surrounding  nations, — upon  Assyria,  upon  Babylon, 
upon  Moab,  upon  Damascus,  upon  Egypt,  upon  Tyre,  and  upon  the 
kingdom  of  Israel ;  for  this  kingdom  was  not  destroyed  until  the 
sixth  year  of  Hezekiah.  Mingled  with  these  denunciations  are 
many  precious  promises  for  the  people  of  God,  and  pleasant  pros- 
pects are  set  before  them,  especially  under  the  reign  of  the  coming 
Messiah.  Chapters  eleven  and  twelve  are  wholly  Messianic,  setting 
forth  the  peace  and  glory  of  Zion  in  the  latter  days. 

S. — Is  the  kingdom  of  Judah  overlooked  in  this  dispensation  of 
judgments  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  361 

F. — It  is  not.  In  chapter  twenty-ninth,  approaching  judgments 
are  denounced  upon  Judah  ;  and  ere  long  Sennacherib  makes  his 
appearance.  "  In  the  fourteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah, 
Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria  came  up  against  all  the  fenced  cities 
of  Judah,  and  took  them  "  (Chap,  xxxvi.) ;  and  he  sent  llabsheka 
to  menace  Jerusalem,  and  to  insult  the  king.  In  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  Isaiah,  the  invader  draws  off  his  forces  for  the  time  ;  but 
he  soon  returns,  and  repeats  his  blasphemies  and  his  threats.  And 
now  it  Avas  that  Isaiah  was  sent  to  the  king  with  a  message  of  assur- 
ance and  comfort.  "  The  king  of  Assyria  shall  not  come  into  this 
city,  nor  shoot  an  arrow  there,  nor  come  before  it  with  shields,  nor 
cast  a  bank  against  it.  By  the  way  that  he  came,  by  the  same  shall 
he  return,  and  shall  not  come  into  this  city,  saith  the  Lord.  For  I 
will  defend  this  city  to  save  it,  for  my  own  sake,  and  for  my  servant 
David's  sake.  Then  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  forth,  and  smote 
in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians  185,000  men"  (Chap,  xxxvii.  33-36). 

*S'. — What  important  events  followed  his  deliverance? 

F. — Sennacherib  departed  in  disgrace  to  his  own  land,  where  he 
was  slain  by  two  of  his  sons.  Hezekiah  was  visited  with  sore  sick- 
ness, but  in  answer  to  prayer,  recovered,  and  fifteen  years  were 
added  to  his  life.  At  his  request,  and  in  token  of  his  deliverance, 
the  sun  not  only  stayed  in  its  course,  but  went  fifteen  degrees  back- 
ward, on  the  dial  of  Ahaz. 

*S'. — Is  this  account  credible  ?  Is  it  possible  ?  Have  we  any  hint 
of  its  occurrence,  from  any  other  source  ? 

F. — I  suppose  the  event  both  possible  and  credible.  The  God 
who  made  this  world  and  moves  it  could  easily  revert  its  rotatory 
motion ;  or  he  could  cause,  for  the  time,  an  unusual  refraction  of 
the  rays  of  light ;  either  of  which  would  have  given  to  the  sun  the 
appearance  of  moving  back.  And  that  the  strange  occurrence  was 
observed  in  other  countries,  we  have  this  evidence,  that  messengers 
were  almost  immediately  sent  from  Babylon  to  Hezekiah,  to  con- 
gratulate him  on  his  recovery,  and  to  "inquire  respecting  the 
wonder  that  was  done  in  the  land  "  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  31). 


362  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — How  did  Hezekiah  receive  these  messengers  from  Babylon  ? 

i^.-^With  great  kindness ;  but  he  too  ostentatiously  showed 
them  all  his  treasures.  For  this,  he  was  reproved  by  Isaiah,  and 
was  told  that  the  day  was  approaching,  when  all  these  treasures 
should  be  carried  to  Babylon. 

S. — Did  Isaiah  often  appear  at  court  after  this  ? 

F. — Probably  not.  We  hear  of  no  further  intercourse  between 
him  and  the  king.  He  seems  to  have  gone  into  retirement — per- 
haps into  one  of  the  schools  of  the  prophets.  But  the  Spirit  of 
God  went  with  him,  and  some  of  his  most  glorious  predictions 
were  uttered  during  this  period.  The  fall  of  Babylon  is  foretold, 
going  into  minute  particulars.  The  captivity  of  the  Jews  in  Baby- 
lon is  also  predicted,  and  their  restoration  by  Cyrus, — calling 
Cyrus  by  name  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  before  he  was  born. 
We  have  here,  too,  some  of  the  most  signal  promises  of  the  Mes- 
siah, particularly  that  in  Chap,  liii.,  relating  to  his  vicarious  suffer- 
ings and  death.  In  the  last  chapters  of  the  book,  Isaiah  has 
recorded  some  of  the  most  glorious  visions  as  to  the  future  growth 
and  prosperity  of  Zion, — stretching  onwards  to  millennial  times, 
and  the  end  of  the  world.  "  Arise,  shine  ;  for  thy  light  has  come, 
and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon  thee.  Thy  sun  shall  no 
more  go  down,  neither  shall  thy  moon  withdraw  itself;  for  the 
Lord  shall  be  thine  everlasting  light,  and  the  days  of  thy  mourning 
shall  be  ended"  (Chap.  Ix.  1,  20).  With  visions  and  utterances 
such  as  these,  did  the  holy  prophet  comfort  himself,  and  comfort 
his  brethren,  amid  the  trials  and  distresses  of  Manasseh's  bloody 
reign,  till  he  himself  fell  a  victim  to  the  persecutor's  rage,  and 
was  torn  asunder  by  the  wooden  saw. 

>S'. — Have  not  these  last  comforting  chapters  of  Isaiah  been 
regarded  by  some  interpreters  as  spurious,  or  been  ascribed  to 
some  later  prophet  ? 

F. — They  have,  almost  in  our  own  times,  by  some  of  the  cold 
critics  of  Germany.  Volume  after  volume  has  been  written,  trying 
to  make  a  distinction  between   the   real   Isaiah   and   the   pseudo 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  363 

Isaiah.  But  all  this  is  sheer  nonsense,  and  is  so  regarded  now 
by  the  best  critics  in  Germany.  There  has  never  been  but  one 
Isaiah,  and  his  prophecy  is  obviously  one  hook.,  bearing  everywhere 
the  impress  of  the  same  great  heart  and  hand.  No  other  prophet 
ever  assayed  to  imitate  him,  or  wished  to  deprive  him  of  any  part 
of  his  glory. 

*S'. — What  have  you  to  say  of  his  style  and  manner  of  writing  ? 

F. — It  is  throughout  perspicuous,  elevated,  and  pure.  Some 
parts  of  the  book  have  never  been  excelled  in  point  of  eloquence. 
Take,  for  example,  the  description,  in  the  fourteenth  chapter,  of 
the  descent  of  the  lost  king  of  Babylon  into  hell.  "  Hell,  from 
beneath,  is  moved  for  thee,  to  meet  thee  at  thy  coming.  It  stirreth 
up  the  dead  for  thee,  even  all  the  chief  ones  of  the  earth.  All 
they  shall  speak,  and  say  unto  thee.  Art  thou  also  become  weak 
as  we  ?  Art  thou  become  like  unto  us  ?  Thy  pomp  is  brought 
down  to  the  grave,  and  the  noise  of  thy  viols.  The  worm  is 
spread  under  thee,  and  the  worms  cover  thee.  They  that  see  thee 
shall  narrowly  look  upon  thee,  and  consider  thee,  saying,  Is  this 
the  man  that  made  the  earth  to  tremble,  that  did  shake  kingdoms, 
that  made  the  world  as  a  wilderness,  and  opened  not  the  house  of 
his  prisoners  ?  But  thou  art  cast  out  of  th}^  grave,  as  an  abomina- 
ble branch,  and  as  a  carcass  trodden  under  foot."  Take,  as  another 
example,  the  message  of  the  Lord  to  Sennacherib,  recorded  in 
chapter  thirty-seventh :  "  The  virgin,  the  daughter  of  Zion,  hath 
despised  thee,  and  laughed  thee  to  scorn ;  the  daughter  of  Jerusa- 
lem hath  shaken  her  head  at  thee.  Whom  hast  thou  reproached 
and  blasphemed ;  and  against  whom  hast  thou  exalted  thy  voice, 
and  lifted  up  thine  eyes  on  high  ?  Even  against  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel.  But  I  know  thine  abode,  thy  going  out  and  thy  coming 
in,  and  thy  rage  against  me.  I  will  put  my  hook  in  thy  nose,  and 
thy  bridle  in  my  lips,  and  I  will  turn  thee  back  in  the  way  by 
which  thou  camest."  We  may  safely  challenge  all  the  poets  and 
orators  of  ancient  and  modern  times,  to  produce  passages  equal  to 
these  in  point  of  sublimity,  directness,  eloquence  and  force. 

23 


364  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Why  is  Isaiah  so  commonly  called  the  evangelical  prophet  ? 

F. — Because,  in  his  predictions,  he  so  frequently  refers  to  the 
coming  Savior,  to  his  sufferings  and  death,  and  to  the  way  of  sal- 
vation through  him.  Because  he  so  beautifully  describes  the 
increased  light,  and  privileges,  and  blessings  of  gospel  times.  Be- 
cause, too,  he  is  so  frequently  quoted  and  referred  to  in  the  New 
Testament.  For  all  these  reasons,  as  well  as  for  others  that  might 
be  adduced,  he  is  well  entitled  to  the  appellation  so  frequently 
accorded  to  him,   The  Evangelical  Prophet. 


CONVERSATION  XL VIII. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— Micah.—Cotemporary  with  Isaiah. 
— Also  predicts  the  coming  of  Christ. — Nahum — Little  known  of  him. — His  style 
more  impassioned  than  the  rest. — Prophesies  the  destruction  of  Nineveh. — Ruins  of 
Niueveh  lately  explored. — Confirmatory  to  Bible  history. 

MICAH. 

Son. — It  seems  from  the  first  verse  of  Micah,  that  he  prophesied 
in  the  clays  of  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah.  Of 
course,  he  was  cotemporary  with  Isaiah. 

Father. — Yes,  he  prophesied  at  the  same  time,  and  at  or  near  the 
same  place,  i.  e.  Jerusalem.  He  is  called  the  Morashthite,  from  the 
town  of  Moresheth-gath,  lying  west  of  Jerusalem,  not  far  from  the 
country  of  the  Philistines.  We  know  also  at  what  time  Micah  proph- 
esied from  a  passage  in  Jeremiah  xxvi.  18,  which  says :  "  Micah  the 
Morashthite  prophesied,  in  the  days  of  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah, 
saying,  "  Zion  shall  be  ploughed  like  a  field,  and  Jerusalem  shall  be- 
come heaps,  and  the  mountain  of  the  house  as  the  high  places  of  the 
forest."  The  severe  rebukes  of  idolatry  which  we  find  in  the  first 
chapters  of  Micah  indicate  that  they  must  have  been  written  in  the 
time  of  Ahaz,  or  at  least  in  the  first  years  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah. 
We  know  they  were  written  before  the  destruction  of  Samaria  and 
the  carrying  away  of  the  ten  tribes,  because  that  event  is  distinctly 
foretold.  "  I  will  make  Samaria  as  a  heap  of  the  field  ;  I  will  pour 
down  the  stones  thereof  into  the  valley ;  I  will  discover  the  founda- 
tions thereof"  (Chap.  i.  6).  Samaria  was  destroyed  in  the  sixth 
year  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah.  There  is  another  fact  which  indi- 
cates that  Micah  closed  his  message  sooner  than  Isaiah.  We  find 
no  distinct  mention  of  the  Assyrian  invasion,  which  could  hardly 
have  been  omitted,  had  it  occurred  during  his  prophecy. 

S. — Is  there  any  obvious  division  in  the  prophecy  of  Micah  ? 

F. — There  is.  The  three  first  chapters  contain  his  stern  reproofs 
of  the  wickedness  of  both  Israel  and  Judah,  and  his  loud  and 
earnest   calls   for   a   reformation.     In  the  next  two  chapters,  the 


366  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

prophet  comforts  the  true  Israel  of  God  ;  predicts  clearly  the  com- 
ing of  the  Messiah ;  and  sets  forth  the  future  prosperity  and  glory 
of  Zion.  Some  of  his  language  on  this  subject  is  the  same  as 
that  of  Isaiah ;  but  which  of  the  two  copied  from  the  other,  I 
pretend  not  to  say.*  The  two  last  chapters  of  Micah  are  of  a  more 
general  and  didactic  character. 

S. — How  does  the  style  of  Micah  compare  with  that  of  Isaiah  ? 

F. — To  say  that  it  is  equal  to  that  of  the  great  evangelical 
prophet  would,  perhaps,  be  too  high  praise  ;  and  yet  it  falls  but 
little  short  of  it.  The  style  of  Micah  is  concise,  perspicuous,  ener- 
getic, and  in  some  passages  vehement  and  eloquent.  In  adminis- 
tering both  rebukes  and  promises,  Micah  evinces  great  tenderness 
of  spirit,  showing  that  his  heart  was  deeply  affected.  His  descrip- 
tion of  the  character  of  God  in  the  three  closing  verses  of  the 
book  are  very  fine.  "Who  is  a  God  like  unto  thee,  that  pardoneth 
iniquity,  and  passeth  by  the  transgression  of  the  remnant  of  his 
heritage  ?  He  retaineth  not  his  anger  forever,  because  he  delight- 
eth  in  mercy.  He  will  turn  again ;  he  will  have  compassion  upon 
us ;  he  will  subdue  our  iniquities ;  he  will  cast  all  our  transgres- 
sions into  the  depth  of  the  sea.  Thou  wilt  perform  thy  truth  to 
Jacob,  and  thy  mercy  to  Abraham,  which  thou  hast  sworn  unto 
our  fathers  from  the  days  of  old." 

NAHUM. 

S. — Of  Nahum  personally,  I  suppose  little  is  known. 

F. — Very  little  indeed.  He  is  called  the  Elkoshite,  probably, 
from  a  village  in  Galilee,  called  Elkesi.  From  his  familiar  refer- 
ences to  Lebanon,  Carmel,  and  Bashan,  it  is  presumed  that  he  lived 
in  Palestine,  and  that  here  his  message  was  delivered. 

S. — The  subject  of  the  prophecy  is  the  overthrow  of  Nineveh  : 
Can  you  tell  us  where  it  was  delivered  ? 

F. — Probably,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah,  which 
would  make  him  cotemporary  with  Isaiah,  and  perhaps  with  Micah. 


*Compare  Micah  i.  4,  with  Is.  ii.  2-4. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  367 

It  was  certainly  delivered  after  the  fall  of  Samaria,  and  the  exile  of 
the  ten  tribes  (see  Chap.  ii.  2)  ;  also  subsequent  to  the  boastful 
but  disastrous  invasion  of  Judea  by  Sennacherib  (Chap,  i.  11-13). 
The  destruction  predicted  by  Nahum  is  that  which  w^as  inflicted 
upon  Nineveh  by  the  Babylonians,  a  hundred  years,  or  more,  after 
the  prophecy  was  uttered. 

S. — Are  there  any  obvious  divisions  in  this  prophecy  ? 

F. — There  are  not.  It  is  a  single  poem,  and  closely  connected 
throughout. 

aS'. — And  how  does  the  style  compare  with  that  of  Isaiah  and 
Micah  ? 

F. — Very  favorably.  It  is  more  impassioned,  as  it  seems  to  me, 
than  that  of  any  of  the  prophets.  His  description  of  Jehovah 
(Chap.  i.  2-9),  is  majestic  and  sublime.  His  description  of  the 
invading  army,  which  is  to  destroy  Nineveh,  is  graphic  and  awful. 
"  Woe  to  the  bloody  city  !  It  is  all  full  of  lies  and  robbery.  The 
prey  departeth  not, — the  noise  of  the  whip,  and  the  noise  of  the  rat- 
tling wheels,  and  of  the  prancing  horses,  and  the  jumping  chariots. 
The  horseman  lifteth  up  the  bright  sword,  and  the  glittering  spear, 
and  there  is  a  multitude  of  slain.  There  is  no  end  of  the  corpses  ; 
they  stumble  upon  their  corpses  "  (Chap.  iii.  1-3).  The  final  ruin 
of  Nineveh,  as  depicted  in  the  last  two  verses,  is  mournful  and 
impressive.  "  Thy  shepherds  slumber ;  thy  nobles  dwell  in  the 
dust ;  thy  people  is  scattered  upon  the  mountains,  and  no  man  gath- 
ereth  them.  There  is  no  healing  of  thy  bruise;  thy  wound  is  griev- 
ous ;  all  that  hear  the  bruit  of  thee  shall  clap  their  hands  over  thee  ; 
for  upon  whom  hath  not  thy  wickedness  passed  continually  ?  " 

S. — What  was  the  state  of  Nineveh,  when  this  prophecy  was 
uttered  ? 

F. — It  was  in  the  height  of  its  glory.  It  was  never  more  prosper- 
ous than  in  the  long  reign  of  Esarhaddon,  who  came  to  the  throne 
in  the  twenty-second  year  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah  king  of  Judah. 
But  its  doom  was  pronounced,  as  we  have  seen,  by  the  God  of 
nations,  and  in  the  appointed  time  it  was  terribly  executed.     There 


368  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

was  no  recovery  promised,  as  in  the  case  of  Jerusalem,  when  its 
ruin  is  denounced ;  and  no  recovery  has  ever  reached  it.  So  entire 
was  its  destruction  that,  for  long  ages,  its  site  was  unknown.  Its 
ruins  have  recently  been  discovered  and  opened  for  the  verification 
of  ancient  prophecy,  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  world. 


CONVERSATION  XLIX. 

niOPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— Jeremiah  and  Lamentations.— Who 
he  was. — Cotemporary  witli  Daniel  and  Ezekiel. — Threatened  with  death. — Preserva- 
tion of  the  prophecies. — Destruction  of  the  book  by  order  of  the  king. — A  new  one 
made. — Persecution  of  Jeremiah. — Fall  of  Jerusalem. — Death  of  Egypt. — Book  of 
Lamentations. — Their  peculiarity. 

Son. — Who  was  Jeremiah  ? 

Father. — He  was  "  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  of  the  priests  that  were  in 
Anathoth,  in  the  land  of  Benjamin."  Anathoth  was  a  city  belong- 
ing to  the  priests,  about  three  miles  north-east  from  Jerusalem. 
Some  have  thought  Jeremiah's  father  was  the  same  as  Hilkiah  the 
high  priest  in  the  time  of  Josiah — the  same  that  found  the  lost  book 
of  the  law ;  but  this  is  not  probable.  Had  this  been  the  case,  the 
fact  would  undoubtedly  have  been  mentioned. 

S. — Under  what  kings  did  Jeremiah  prophesy  ? 

F. — Under  Josiah,  and  his  four  descendants — the  last  kings  of 
Judah.  He  was  cotemporary  with  Daniel  and  Ezekiel,  who  were 
prophesying  in  Babylon,  while  Jeremiah  was  delivering  his  messages 
in  Jerusalem ;  also  with  Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  and  Obadiah. 

aS'. — When  did  Jeremiah  commence  his  prophecy  ? 

F. — In  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Josiah.  He  was  but  a 
youth  at  this  time ;  and  when  called  to  the  prophetical  work, 
excused  himself  by  saying :  "  Ah  Lord  God  !  behold  I  cannot  speak, 
for  I  am  a  child."  But  instead  of  excusing  him,  the  Lord  gave  him 
a  formal  and  solemn  commission  ;  and  he  continued  in  the  propheti- 
cal office  for  more  than  forty  years. 

*S'. — Do  we  hear  much  of  him  during  the  reign  of  Josiah  ? 

F. — We  do  not.  He  was  young,  and  not  inclined  to  put  him- 
self forward.  Huldah  was  the  prophetess  to  whom  the  good  king 
applied,  whenever  he  had  occasion  to  inquire  of  the  Lord.  It  can- 
not be  doubted,  however,  that,  in  the  great  reformation  which  fol- 
lowed the  finding  of  the  book  of  the  law,  Jeremiah  would  help  it 
forward  by  every  method  in  his  power.     It  is  certain  that  he  deliv- 


370  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

ered  some  of  his  most  pungent  reproofs  and  exhortations  at  this 
time.  These  are  contained,  it  is  supposed,  in  the  first  twelve  chap- 
ters of  his  prophecy. 

^S*. — Is  it  not  strange  that  he  should  utter  such  reproofs,  while 
the  reformation  under  Josiah  was  in  progress  ? 

^.—Jeremiah  saw, — or  if  he  did  not,  God  did, — that  the  reforma- 
tion was  rather  external  than  spiritual, — a  reformation  springing 
more  from  kingly  authority,  than  from  the  heart.  Accordingly,  as 
soon  as  Josiah  was  dead,  and  a  counter  influence  proceeded  from 
the  throne,  the  nation  fell  back  at  once  into  its  old  idolatries. 

S. — Do  we  hear  much  of  Jeremiah  under  the  reign  of  Jehoahaz, 
otherwise  called  Shallum? 

F. — We  do  not ;  he  reigned  only  three  months.  But  when  he 
was  deposed  by  Pharaoh  Necho,  and  carried  into  Egypt,  Jeremiah 
speaks  kindly  of  him,  and  calls  upon  the  people  to  bemoan  his 
captivity  (Chap.  xxii.  10-13). 

S. — What  were  some  of  the  leading  events  of  Jehoiakim's  reign, 
and  how  was  Jeremiah  affected  by  them  ? 

F. — In  the  weakness  and  disorder  which  characterized  this  reign, 
the  work  of  Jeremiah  became  more  prominent  and  difficult.  The 
people  were  divided  in  their  preferences,  some  for  the  king  of 
Egypt,  and  some  for  the  king  of  Babylon.  Jehoiakim  had  come  to 
the  throne  as  the  vassal  of  Egypt ;  and  for  a  time,  the  Egyptian 
party  prevailed.  Others  held  that  their  only  safety  consisted  in 
accepting  the  supremacy  of  the  Chaldeans.  Jeremiah  was  of  this 
party.  Guided  by  inspiration,  he  could  discern  the  signs  of  the 
times.  He  regarded  the  king  of  Babylon  as  God's  instrument,  who 
was  doing  his  work,  and  who  was  destined,  for  a  time,  to  prevail 
over  all  resistance  (Chap,  xxvii.  6,  7).  Hard  was  it  for  one  who 
sympathized  so  deeply  in  all  the  sufferings  of  his  country,  to  bring 
himself  to  this  conviction ;  and  in  declaring  it,  he  exposed  himself 
to  the  imputation  of  treachery.  False  prophets,  too,  had  their  word 
of  the  Lord,  to  set  against  his,  and  all  he  could  do  was  to  commit 
his  cause  to  God,  and  wait  the  result.     Jeremiah  was,  at  this  time, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  371 

threatened  with  death,  and  might  have  been  put  to  death,  had  not 
his  friend  Ahikam,  the  son  of  Shaphan  interposed  for  his  rescue 
(Chap.  xxvi.  2). 

In  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim,  the  battle  of  Carchemish  put  an 
end  to  the  hopes  of  the  Egyptian  party,  and  the  armies  of  Neb- 
uchadnezzar drove  those  of  the  Jews  who  had  no  defensed  cities,  to 
take  refuge  in  Jerusalem  (Chap.  xxxv.  2). 

S. — What  did  Jeremiah  do,  at  this  time,  for  the  preservation  of 
his  prophecies  ? 

F. — He  was  directed  by  God  to  write  them  in  a  book ;  and  Baruch, 
his  scribe,  was  sent  to  read  them  to  the  people ;  but  the  king  gave 
vent  to  his  impotent  rage  by  cutting  the  book  in  pieces,  and  burning 
it  in  the  fire.  Howbeit,  the  book  was  re-written,  and  severe  denun- 
ciations were  added  respecting  the  impious  king  (see  Chap,  xxxvi). 

As  the  danger  from  the  Chaldeans  became  more  threatening, 
the  persecution  of  Jeremiah  became  more  severe.  The  people 
cursed  him,  and  sought  his  life.  Still,  he  went  on  with  his  work, 
reproving  king,  and  princes,  and  people,  and  warning  all  of  the 
approaching  destruction. 

S. — What  became  of  Jehoiakim,  the  king? 

F. — He  was  slain  by  the  Chaldeans,  and  his  body  was  left,  for  a 
time,  without  burial,  as  Jeremiah  had  predicted  (Chap,  xxxvi.  30). 
Jehoiachin,  his  son,  was  placed  upon  the  throne ;  but  he  was  soon 
taken  captive  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  was  sent  to  Babylon,  in 
fulfillment  of  another  of  Jeremiah's  predictions  (Chap.  xxii.  24- 
27).  He  was  succeeded  by  Zedekiah,  a  son  of  Josiah,  and  the 
last  that  sat  upon  the  throne  of  Judah.  As  he  was  appointed  by 
Nebuchadnezzar,  and  reigned  under  him,  we  do  not  find  the  same 
obstinate  resistance  to  Jeremiah's  counsels  as  in  the  case  of  Jehoi- 
akim. He  respected  the  prophet,  feared  him,  and  sought  his 
advice ;  but  he  was  the  mere  shadow  of  a  king,  powerless  against 
his  own  counselors,  and  in  his  reign  the  sufferings  of  Jeremiah 
were  greater  than  ever  before.  He  at  one  time  sought  to  escape 
from  Jerusalem,  where  he  could  no  longer  do  any  good,  and  take 


372  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

refuge  in  his  own  town  of  Anathoth.  Upon  the  discovery  of  his 
plan,  his  enemies  charged  him  with  an  intended  desertion  to  the 
Chaldeans  ;  and  in  spite  of  his  denial,  he  was  thrown  into  prison. 
The  king  would  gladly  have  released  him,  but  the  princes  conspired 
against  him,  and  he  was  plunged  into  a  horrible  dungeon,  where 
he  must  soon  have  died  (Chap,  xxxviii.  6).  From  this  he  was 
delivered  by  Ebed-Melek,  an  Ethiopian  eunuch,  and  restored  to  his 
former  place  in  the  prison,  where  he  had  the  company  of  Baruch, 
his  scribe,  and  where  he  remained  until  the  city  was  taken  (Chap, 
xxxviii.  28). 

At  last,  the  fatal  hour  came ;  the  city  was  captured ;  the  temple 
was  burned;  the  king  and  his  princes  went  into  captivity;  and 
the  prophet  gave  utterance  to  his  sorrow  in  the  book  of  Lajvienta- 

TIONS. 

*S'. — What  became  of  Jeremiah,  after  the  capture  of  Jerusalem? 

F. — He  was  taken  from  prison,  and  permitted  to  have  his  choice, 
either  to  go  to  Babylon,  where  he  would  have  been  held  in  high 
honor  in  the  king's  court,  or  to  remain  with  his  own  people.  He 
chose  the  latter ;  and  Gedeliah,  the  son  of  his  old  friend  Ahikam, 
was  made  governor  over  them.  There  was  now  a  short  interval 
of  peace ;  but  this  was  soon  broken  by  the  murder  of  Gedeliah  by 
Ishmael,  who  was  of  the  seed  royal,  and  one  of  the  former  princes 
of  Judah.  Failing  to  establish  his  authority  over  the  remnant  of 
the  Jews,  he  escaped,  and  fled  to  the  Ammonites.  Johanan,  the 
son  of  Karea,  now  took  charge  of  the  people.  Jeremiah  counseled 
them  to  remain  in  the  land,  and  be  subject  to  the  king  of  Babylon ; 
but  they  rejected  his  counsel,  and  went  into  Egypt,  taking  the 
prophet  with  them.  And  here  his  words  were  sharper  and  stronger 
than  ever  before.  He  predicts  the  speedy  conquest  of  Egypt  by 
Nebuchadnezzar ;  utters  a  solemn  protest  against  the  continued 
idolatry  of  the  Jews ;  and  this  is  the  last  that  we  hear  of  him 
(Chap,  xliii.  8-13).     He  probably  died  in  Egypt. 

*S'. — Are  the  predictions  of  Jeremiah  properly  arranged  in  the 
book  before  us  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  373 

F. — They  are  not.  They  follow  each  other  without  much  order 
or  method,  to  be  selected  and  arranged  by  the  interpreter.  Who 
occasioned  this  disorder,  we  do  not  know.  It  may  have  been  done 
by  accident,  or  through  the  ignorance  or  carelessness  of  some 
ancient  compiler.  It  is  a  serious  interruption  to  the  study  of  the 
book. 

S. — What  are  some  of  the  more  remarkable  predictions  of  Jere- 
miah ? 

F. — He  predicted  the  fate  of  Jehoiakim,  and  of  Zedekiah  (Chap. 
xxxvi.  30,  xxxix.  3).  He  predicted  the  captivity  of  the  Jews, 
the  precise  time  of  its  continuance,  and  their  return  to  their  own 
land  (Chap.  xxii.  8-12).  He  predicted  the  destruction  of  Baby- 
lon, and  the  downfall  of  many  other  nations  (xxv.  15-33).  He 
foretold  the  coming  of  Christ,  his  miraculous  conception,  the  virtue 
of  his  atonement,  the  spiritual  character  of  his  religion,  and  the 
inward  efficacy  of  his  laws  (Chap.  xxxi.  31-34).  The  reputation 
of  Jeremiah,  as  a  prophet  of  God,  went  abroad  to  other  nations, 
and  many  writers  among  the  heathen  have  borne  testimony  to  the 
truth  and  accuracy  of  his  predictions. 

jS. — What  is  said  as  to  the  style  of  Jeremiah  ? 

F. — He  is  proverbially  styled  "the  weeping  prophet."  The 
painful  messages  which  he  was  called  upon  to  deliver,  and  the 
many  trying  scenes  through  which  he  passed,  made  him  so.  He 
was  perpetually  conversant  with  objects  of  suffering,  of  grief,  of 
pity.  This  characteristic  of  his  writings  appears  frequently  in 
the  book  we  have  examined,  but  more  especially  in  the  Lamenta- 
tions. 

iS. — When  was  the  book  of  Lamentations  written  ? 

F. — Very  soon  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  tem- 
ple, but  whether  before  or  after  Jeremiah  went  into  Egypt,  we 
cannot  tell. 

*S'. — Is  there  anything  peculiar  in  the  structure  of  the  Lamenta- 
tions ? 

F. — It  is  not  so  properly  one  poem,  as  five,  each  chapter  consti- 


374  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


tuting  a  song  by  itself.  The  first  four  chapters  are  written  in  the 
acrostic  form,  every  couplet  or  verse  beginning  with  a  letter  in  the 
Hebrew  alphabet,  in  regular  order.  The  first,  second,  and  fourth 
chapters  contain  each  of  them,  twenty-two  verses,  according  to 
the  number  of  the  Hebrew  letters.  The  third  chapter  has  triplets, 
each  beginning  with  a  Hebrew  letter,  and  the  number  of  verses  is 
sixty-six.  The  fifth  and  last  chapter  is  not  an  acrostic.  The  first 
two  chapters  describe  the  distresses  and  calamities  of  the  siege  of 
Jerusalem.  The  third  is  more  personal,  setting  forth  the  sufferings 
of  the  writer.  The  fourth  refers  to  the  ruin  and  desolation  of  the 
city  and  temple.  The  fifth  is  a  form  of  prayer  for  the  Jews  in 
their  captivity.  The  whole  is  written  with  the  utmost  tenderness. 
"  Never,"  says  Lowtli,  "  was  there  a  more  rich  and  elegant  variety 
of  beautiful  images  and  adjuncts,  arranged  together  in  so  small  a 
compass.  Every  letter  was  inscribed  with  a  tear ;  every  word  is 
the  echo  of  a  broken  heart.  During  the  exile  in  Babylon,  the 
Lamentations  of  Jeremiah  were  read,  it  is  said,  year  by  year,  on 
the  ninth  day  of  the  month  Abib  (July),  with  fasting  and  weep- 
ing, to  commemorate  the  miseries  out  of  which  the  nation  had  been 
delivered." 


CONVERSATION  L. 

PROPHETS  IN  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGS.— Zephaniah.— Time  of  his  prophecy. 
— Character  of  his  predictions. — Habakkuk. — The  general  description  of  this  book. — 
Obadiah. — The  shortest  book  in  the  Old  Testament. — Subject  of  this  prophecy. 

ZEPHANIAH. 

Son. — From  the  inscription  to  this  book,  we  know  who  were  the 
progenitors  of  Zephaniah,  and  that  he  prophesied  in  the  days  of 
Josiah,  king  of  Judah.  At  what  time  in  the  reign  of  Josiah  did 
he  deliver  his  prophecy  ? 

Father. — I  think  in  the  first  half  of  his  reign.  He  certainly 
prophesied  before  the  fall  of  Nineveh ;  and  Nineveh  was  destroyed 
in  the  sixteenth  year  of  Josiah  (Chap.  ii.  13).  He  prophesied,  too, 
before  the  land  was  cleared  from  idolatry,  as  it  was  in  the  latter 
part  of  Josiah's  reign.  The  facts  here  referred  to  indicate  pretty 
plainly  the  date  of  this  prophecy — the  first  half  of  Josiah's  reign — 
perhaps  the  tenth  or  twelfth  year.  This  would  make  Zephaniah 
cotemporary  with  Jeremiah,  though,  perhaps,  a  little  earlier. 

S. — What  is  the  purport  of  this  short  prophecy  ? 

F — The  first  chapter  is  occupied  in  denouncing  terrible  judg- 
ments upon  the  people  of  the  land  for  their  idolatry,  pride,  and 
wickedness.  "  The  great  day  of  the  Lord  is  near,  it  is  near,  and 
hasteth  greatly.  That  day  is  a  day  of  wrath,  a  day  of  trouble  and 
distress,  a  day  of  the  trumpet  and  of  alarm  against  the  fenced 
cities "  (Chap.  i.  14).  In  the  second  chapter,  judgment  is  de- 
nounced upon  the  surrounding  nations — the  Philistines,  the  Moab- 
ites,  the  Cushites,  and  the  Assyrians — all  which  were  speedily 
executed.  The  third  chapter  closes  with  an  earnest  call  to  the 
Jews  to  repentance  and  reformation,  and  promises  of  future  restor- 
ation and  peace. 

*S'. — How  does  Zephaniah  compare  with  the  other  prophets  in 
point  of  style  ? 


376  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — His  style  is  not  so  elevated  and  eloquent  as  that  of  some  of 
the  prophets,  but  is  well  adapted  to  his  subject.  It  compares  favor- 
ably with  that  of  Micah  and  Jeremiah.  It  was  a  loud  call  to  the 
degenerate  Jews  in  the  closing  period  of  their  monarchy, — one  to 
which  they  should  have  listened, — to  which,  we  think,  Josiah  did 
listen,  and  by  which  he  was  strengthened  and  encouraged  in  his 
efforts  for  a  reformation. 

HABAKKUK. 

*S'. — Have  we  any  means  of  knowing  who  Habakkuk  was  ? 

F. — We  have  not.  The  Jews  have  their  traditions  about  him, 
but  these  are  of  no  account. 

S. — At  what  time  did  he  live  and  utter  his  predictions  ? 

F. — I  cannot  doubt  that  he  was  cotemporary  with  Jeremiah  ;  that 
he  lived  and  prophesied  just  previous  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem by  the  Chaldeans.  In  Chap.  i.  6,  God  says:  "  Behold  I  raise  up 
the  Chaldeans,  that  bitter  and  hasty  nation,  which  shall  march 
through  the  breadth  of  the  land,  to  possess  the  dwelling  places 
which  are  not  theirs.  They  are  terrible  and  dreadful ;  their  horses 
are  swifter  than  the  leopards,  and  more  fierce  than  the  evening 
wolves."  This  is  enough  to  show  the  occasion  of  the  prophecy, 
and  the  time  when  it  was  uttered. 

S. — What  will  you  say  to  the  form  and  style  of  the  book? 

F. — The  book  is  highly  poetical — a  poem  throughout.  The  first 
two  chapters  are  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue  between  the  distressed 
prophet,  and  the  Sovereign  Chastiser  and  Avenger  of  his  people 
Israel.  The  prophet  begins :  "  O  Lord,  how  long  shall  I  cry,  and 
thou  wilt  not  hear !  Even  cry  out  unto  thee  of  violence,  and  thou 
wilt  not  save  (Chap.  i.  2)  ! "  In  the  fifth  verse,  and  onward,  God 
speaks :  "  Behold  ye  among  the  heathen,  and  wonder  marvel- 
ously;  for  I  will  work  a  work  in  your  days  which  ye  will  not 
believe,  though  it  be  told  you."  In  the  twelfth  verse  and  onward, 
the  prophet  continues  his  prayer.  "  Art  thou  not  from  everlasting, 
O  Lord  my  God?  We  shall  not  die.  Thou  hast  ordained  them 
(the  heathen)  for  judgment ;  thou  hast  established  them  for  cor- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  377 

rection."  The  Lord  commences  his  reply,  by  saying  :  "  Write  the 
vision  and  make  it  plain  upon  tables,  that  he  may  run  that  readeth 
it.  For  the  vision  is  yet  for  an  appointed  time  ;  but  at  the  end  it 
will  speak  and  not  lie.  Though  it  tarry,  wait  for  it ;  for  it  will 
surely  come,  it  will  not  tarry  "  (Chap.  ii.  2).  From  this  point,  God 
goes  on  to  denounce  approaching  judgments  upon  the  Chaldeans, 
for  their  pride,  their  manifold  oppressions,  and  for  all  their  cruelty.. 
The  whole  concludes  with  a  magnificent  psalm  or  prayer,  in 
the  third  chapter,  which,  for  boldness  of  conception,  sublimity 
of  thought,  and  majesty  of  expression,  is  not  exceeded  in  the  litera- 
ture of  the  world.  The  book  ends  with  an  intense  expression  of 
confidence  in  God,  amidst  all  the  coming  desolations.  "  Although 
the  fig  tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither  shall  fruit  be  in  the  vine ; 
the  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail,  and  the  fields  shall  yield  no  meat ; 
the  flock  shall  be  cut  off  from  the  fold,  and  there  shall  be  no  herd 
in  the  stalls ;  yet  will  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord ;  I  will  joy  in  the  God 
of  my  salvation." 

OBADIAH. 

S. — This  is  the  shortest  book  in  the  Old  Testament,  containing  only 
twenty-one  verses.    Do  we  know  anything  of  the  author  personally? 

F. — We  do  not.  There  are  traditions  and  conjectures,  but  noth- 
ing on  which  to  rely. 

S. — What  is  the  principal  subject  of  this  prophecy? 

F. — It  is  a  reproof  of  the  Edomites,  and  a  severe  denunciation 
against  them,  for  their  cruelty  to  the  Jews,  and  their  rejoicings  over 
them,  in  the  day  of  their  calamity.  The  cruelty  of  the  Edomites, 
when  Jerusalem  was  destroyed,  is  spoken  of  in  other  Scriptures 
(see  Ps.  cxxxvii.  7).  In  the  last  verses,  the  prophet  speaks  encour- 
agingly to  his  own  people,  assuring  them  of  a  final  deliverance  and 
triumph  over  all  their  enemies. 

8. — Is  there  any  evidence  that  Obadiah  had  seen  the  prophecies 
of  Jeremiah? 

F. — There  is ;  for  in  some  instances  he  quotes  Jeremiah  almost 
verbally  (compare  v.  5  with  Jeremiah  xlix.  9). 


378  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE, 

S. — When  was  this  prophecy  uttered  ? 

F. — Shortly  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Babyloni- 
ans. The  prophecy  of  Obadiah,  and  the  Lamentations  of  Jeremiah, 
may  have  been  delivered  at  about  the  same  time. 

S. — What  is  said  of  the  style  of  this  short  book  ? 

F. — "Its  principal  characteristics,"  says  Bishop  Lowth,  "are 
animation,  regularity,  and  perspicuity." 


SECOlNrD    BOOK. 

FROM  THE  CAPTIVITY  TO  THE  COMING  OF  CHRIST. 


CONVERSATION    I. 

THE  JEWS  UNDER  THE  BABYLONIANS.— Babylon.— Its  location.— When  and  by 
•whom  founded, — Nineveh. — Division  of  As.syrian  empire. —  Invasion  and  destruction  of 
Nineveh. — Daniel  in  Babylon. — Second  transportation  of  Jews  to  Babylon. — Desolation 
of  the  country. — Description  of  the  walls  of  Babylon  and  objects  of  interest. — Cyrus. — 
The  capture  of  Babylon. 

Son. — Where  was  Babylon?  When  was  it  founded,  and  by 
whom  ? 

Father. — Babylon  was  situated  on  the  Euphrates,  in  north  lati- 
tude 32°.  It  was  founded  by  Nimrod,  a  grandson  of  Ham,  about 
one  hundred  and  ten  years  after  the  deluge.  It  is  supposed  to 
have  occupied  the  site  of  the  ancient  tower  of  Babel,  from  which  it 
derived  its  name. 

S. — Did  Babylon  subsist  all  along  from  the  days  of  Nimrod  to 
those  of  Nebuchadnezzar  ? 

F. — It  is  supposed  to  have  subsisted,  though  we  hear  but  little  of 
it  for  a  long  course  of  years. 

S. — What  sister  city  grew  up  near  it,  and  at  the  same  time  ? 

F. — Nineveh,  situated  on  the  Tigris,  about  four  degrees  further 
north.  This  was  the  capital  of  the  Assj'rian  emjDire,  perhaps  the 
oldest  in  the  world. 

S. — Who  was  the  first  king  of  Assvria  that  invaded  Palestine  ? 

F. — During  the  reign  of  Menahem,  king  of  Israel,  Pul,  the  king 
of  Assyria  came  into  the  land,  and  Menahem  gave  him  a  thousand 
talents  of  silver.  This  was  a  little  later  than  the  preaching  of 
Jonah  at  Nineveh.     At  this  time  Nineveh  was  a  great  city. 

*S'. — Did  the  Assyrian  empire,  at  this  time,  embrace  both  Babylon 
and  Nineveh  ? 

F. — It  did  ;  but  shortly  after,  the  empire  was  divided.     Arbaces, 

21 


380  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  governor  of  Media,  and  Belesis,  governor  of  Babylon,  conspired 
against  the  king  of  Assyria,  conquered  him,  and  divided  his  empire 
between  them, — the  former  reigning  at  Nineveh,  and  the  latter  at 
Babylon.  Arbaces  was  the  Tiglath-pileser  of  the  Scriptures — the 
same  who  fought  against  Pekah,  king  of  Israel,  and  carried  many  of 
the  Israelites  into  captivity  (2  Kings,  xv.  29).  Belesis  is  the  same 
as  Nabonassar,  with  whose  reign  commences  the  celebrated  astro- 
nomical era,  called  the  era  of  Nabonassar.  He  is  called  Baladan  in 
the  Scriptures  (Is.  xxxix.  1). 

S. — By  whom  was  Nineveh  taken  and  destroyed  ? 

F. — By  Nabopolassar,  the  father  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  seems 
to  have  reigned  conjointly  with  his  father,  a  few  years  previous  to 
his  father's  death.  It  was  while  his  father  was  yet  alive,  that  he 
first  invaded  Judah,  in  the  fourth  j^ear  of  Jehoiakim,  the  son  of 
Josiah.  Jerusalem  was  conquered  at  this  time,  and  the  first  com- 
pany of  captives  were  sent  to  Babylon,  among  whom  were  Daniel 
and  his  three  friends. 

S. — At  what  time  did  Nebuchadnezzar  have  his  first  vision  ? 

F. — It  Avas  in  the  second  year  of  his  reigning  alone,  after  the 
death  of  his  fatlier.  He  saw  in  his  vision  a  mighty  image,  in  shape 
like  a  man,  whose  head  was  of  gold,  whose  breast  and  arms  were  of 
silver,  Avhose  belly  and  thighs  were  of  brass,  whose  legs  \vere  of 
iron,  and  whose  feet  and  toes  were  partly  of  iron,  and  partly  of  clay. 
The  dream  greatly  astonished  the  king,  and  yet  when  he  awoke,  it 
was  gone  from  him ;  he  could  recall  nothing  of  it ;  nor  could  any 
of  his  wise  men  assist  him  at  all  in  the  matter.  It  was  the  disclos- 
ing of  the  dream,  and  the  interpretation  of  it,  which  first  brought 
Daniel  into  favor  with  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  established  his  reputa- 
tion as  the  wisest  man  in  the  kingdom.  Daniel  was  now  a  youth, 
not  more  than  twenty-two  years  of  age  ;  yet  he  received  the  rich- 
est gifts,  and  was  advanced  to  the  highest  honors.  '•  The  king  made 
him  ruler  over  the  whole  province  of  Babylon,  and  chief  of  the 
governors  over  the  wise  men  of  Babylon." 

S. — At  what  time  did  Nebuchadnezzar  set  up  that  great  image 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  381 

at  ]]abylon — a  representation,  perhaps,  of  the  one  he  had  seen  in 
vision  ? 

F. — It  was  in  the  eighteenth  year  of  king  Nebuchadnezzar, 
after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  return  of  his  army  to 
Babylon,  that  the  image  was  set  up,  and  all  the  princes,  governors, 
officers  and  people  were  commanded  to  fall  down  and  worship  it. 
The  three  friends  of  Daniel  refused  to  comply,  and  were  cast  into 
a  burning  fiery  furnace,  from  which  they  were  miraculously  deliv- 
ered by  the  power  of  God. 

S. — But  where  was  Daniel  on  this  occasion?  Did  he  worship 
the  image,  and  thus  escape  persecution  ? 

F. — No ;  Daniel  would  not  save  himself  from  death  in  this  way. 
The  probability  is  that  he  was  not  accused.  Owing  to  his  high 
position  and  great  influence  with  the  king,  the  accusers  of  his  three 
friends  did  not  venture  to  aim  their  shafts  at  him.  At  any  rate, 
they  thought  it  safer  to  dispose  of  the  others  first. 

*S'. — Were  any  more  exiles  transported  from  Jerusalem  to  Baby- 
lon, after  the  fall  of  the  city  ? 

F. — Yes;  In  the  second  year  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
Nebuchadnezzar  laid  siege  to  Tyre,  which  occupied  him  several 
3'ears.  While  a  part  of  his  army  lay  before  Tyre,  another  part  was 
sent  into  the  land  of  Israel,  to  glean  the  straggling  Jews  who  still 
lingered  there,  and  send  them  to  Babylon.  This  was  the  last 
transportation  of  exiles  from  Judea,  and  the  number  carried  away 
amounted  to  no  more  than  seven  hundred  and  forty-five  persons. 

S. — After  the  fall  of  Tyre,  where  did  Nebuchadnezzar  next  turn 
his  arms? 

F. — As  soon  as  he  was  released  from  Tyre,  he  marched  his  army 
into  Egypt,  and  overran  the  whole  country  from  one  end  to  the 
other.  Having  loaded  his  armj^  with  the  rich  spoils  of  Egyj^t,  and 
made  the  land  his  tributary,  he  returned  to  Babylon.  During  this 
raid  upon  Egypt,  most  of  the  Jews  who  had  fled  there,  after  the 
destruction  of  their  city,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  king  of  Baby- 
lon, and  were  either  slain,  or  carried  captives  to  Babylon. 


'382  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — After  his  return  from  Egypt,  how  did  Nebuchadnezzar 
employ  himself? 

F. — He  applied  himself,  at  once,  to  the  strengthening  and  adorn- 
ing of  his  capital ;  and  this  work  he  continued,  until  he  made  Bab}'- 
lon  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  The  walls  of  the  city  were 
eighty-seven  feet  thick,  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  and  in 
circumference  round  the  city  not  less  than  sixty  miles.  Then  there 
were  the  towers  upon  the  walls,  the  hanging  gardens,  the  temples, 
the  palaces,  the  walls  and  gates  on  the  banks  of  the  river  within 
the  city,  the  artificial  lake  and  canals  for  the  draining  of  the  river 
in  case  of  flood.  Altogether,  there  neA^er  Avas  such  a  city  before, 
and  probabl}'  never  will  be  to  the  end  of  time. 

S. — "When  did  Nebuchadnezzar  have  his  second  prophetical 
vision  ? 

F. — While  engaged  in  completing  his  great  works  at  Babylon, 
he  saw,  in  vision,  a  great  tree,  which  towered  to  the  heavens,  and 
whose  branches  reached  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  He  saw  it  cut 
down  by  a  watcher  from  heaven,  and  yet  not  utterly  destroj'ed. 
He  saw  it  sprout  and  come  up  again,  after  it  had  for  a  time  lain 
desolate,  and  been  wetted  with  the  dew  of  heaven.  This  dream, 
and  Daniel's  interpretation  of  it,  we  have  recorded  in  the  fourth 
chapter  of  his  prophecy.  And  in  due  time,  it  was  all  accomplished. 
For  as  Nebuchadnezzar  was  walking  in  his  palace,  and  looking  out 
upon  the  splendors  and  luxuries  of  his  favorite  city,  he  gave  utter- 
ance to  the  pride  of  his  heart  in  the  following  words  :  "  Is  not  this 
great  Babylon  which  I  have  built,  for  the  house  of  the  kingdom, 
by  the  might  of  my  power,  and  for  the  honor  of  my  majesty  ?  " 
Whereupon  there  befell  him  instantly  what  Daniel  liad  predicted  : 
His  reason  and  his  kingdom  Avere  both  taken  away  ;  he  Avas  driven 
from  the  society  of  men ;  he  had  his  dAvelling  AA'ith  the  brutes ;  he 
did  eat  grass  like  an  ox ;  and  his  body  Avas  Avet  Avith  the  dcAV  of 
heaven,  until  his  hair  Avas  groAvn  like  eagles'  feathers,  and  his  nails 
like  birds'  claAVS.  But,  at  the  end  of  seven  years,  his  reason 
returned,  and  his  former  kingdom  and  majesty  Avere  restored  unto 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  383 

him  ;  and  then  it  was  that  he  made  the  following  noble  and  hum- 
ble confession :  "  I  do  bless  the  most  high  God,  and  praise  and 
honor  him  who  livetli  forever  and  ever,  whose  dominion  is  an  ever- 
lasting dominion,  and  whose  kingdom  is  from  generation  to 
generation.  And  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  as  nothing 
before  him ;  and  he  doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the  armies  of 
heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and  none  can  stay 
his  hand,  or  say  unto  him.  What  doest  thou  ?  I  do  praise  and 
extol,  and  honor  the  king  of  heaven,  all  whose  works  are  truth, 
and  his  ways  are  judgment,  and  those  who  walk  in  pride  he  is  able 
to  abase." 

S. — What  do  you  think  of  this  confession,  and  of  him  who  made  it? 

F. — From  this  period,  Nebuchadnezzar  became,  as  I  would  fondly 
hope,  a  truly  pious  man.  He  died,  however,  in  a  little  more  than  a 
year,  having  reigned,  in  great  prosperity  and  glory,  sole  monarch 
of  Babylon,  for  the  long  period  of  forty-three  years.  He  was  an 
instrument  in  the  hand  of  God  of  chastising  many  guilty  nations, 
among  wdiom  were  the  Jews;  and  at  length,  through  the  influence 
of  a  distinguished  Jew,  he  was  brought  to  the  open  acknowledg- 
ment and  worship  of  the  only  living  and  true  God. 

S. — Who  succeeded  Nebuchadnezzar  on  the  throne  of  Babylon  ? 

F. — His  son,  Merodach,  or  who  is  called  in  Scripture,  Evil-Mero- 
dach.  He  was  a  profligate  and  vicious  ruler ;  and  yet  he  bestowed 
one  act  of  kindness  upon  the  Jews.  He  showed  favor  to  Jehoiachin, 
a  former  king  of  Judah,  who  had  now  been  in  confinement  at 
Babylon  thirty-seven  j^ears.  As  the  sacred  writer  expresses  it, 
"  the  king  of  Babylon  spake  kindly  to  him,  and  set  his  throne  above 
the  thrones  of  the  kings  that  Avere  with  him  at  Babylon,  and 
changed  his  prison  garments,  and  he  did  eat  continually  before  him 
all  the  days  of  his  life  "  (2  Kings  xxv.  28). 

S. — The  reign  of  INIerodach  was  short.     Who  succeeded  him  ? 

F. — After  two  short  inglorious  reigns,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Nabonadius,  a  grandson  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  called  in  Scripture, 
Belshazzar. 


384  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — What  great  powers  were  now  being  raised  up  for  tlie  over- 
throw of  Babylon  ? 

F. — Tlie  Kingdom  of  the  Medes,  lying  north  of  Babylon,  had 
long  been  one  of  great  strength.  It  was  now  governed  by  Cyax- 
ares  II.,  called  in  Scripture,  Darius  the  Mede.  Another  ancient 
kingdom  now  coming  into  notice  was  the  Persian.  This  lay  east 
of  Babylon,  was  founded  by  Elam,  a  grandson  of  Noah,  but  never 
had  distinguished  itself  among  the  nations  until  the  times  of  which 
we  speak.  Cyrus,  who  was  now  on  the  throne  of  Persia,  was  a 
nephew  of  Darius  the  Mede.  This  brought  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians into  close  alliance,  and  the  principal  thing  attempted  by  the 
alliance  Avas  the  overthrow  of  Babylon.  Cyrus,  I  hardly  need  say, 
was  the  greatest  warrior  of  his  age,  and  almost  of  any  age.  He 
led  the  united  forces  of  Media  and  Persia,  and  it  was  under  him 
that  Belshazzar,  the  last  monarch  of  Babylon  was  conquered  and 
the  city  taken. 

S. — How  Avas  Babylon  finally  taken  ? 

F. — By  a  close  siege.  This  was  the  only  way  in  which  it  could 
be  taken ;  and  to  capture  it  by  siege  seemed  almost  a  hopeless  task. 
The  Avails  Avere  high  and  impregnable,  and  the  number  of  men 
within  to  defend  them  Avas  very  great.  They  Avere  furnished  Avith 
provisions  for  twenty  years,  in  addition  to  Avhat  might  be  raised  in 
the  gardens  and  tillage  lands  Avithin  the  city.  It  is  not  strange, 
therefore,  that  the  Babylonians,  in  their  toAvers  and  on  the  Avails, 
scoffed  at  Cyrus,  and  derided  his  seemingly  vain  efforts  to  molest 
them. 

S. — What  expedient  Avas  at  length  hit  upon,  by  which  Cyrus  got 
possession  of  the  city  ? 

F. — As  the  city  Avas  built  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  which  ran 
under  the  Avall  and  through  the  city,  Cyrus  contrived  to  draAV  off 
the  Avaters  of  the  river,  and  leave  a  dry  channel  under  the 
wall  on  both  sides.  This  Avas  done  at  a  concerted  sisfnal,  on  a 
night  Avhen  it  Avas  known  that  the  Babylonians  Avere  to  hold  a 
great    festiA'al,    and    Avould    spend    the    Avhole    night    in    reveling 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  385 

and  drunkenness.  While  the  channel  of  the  river  was  being 
drained,  Cyrus  posted  one  part  of  his  army  at  the  place  where  the 
water  ran  into  the  city,  and  another  part  at  the  place  where  it 
ran  out,  with  orders  to  enter  the  city  on  both  sides  as  soon  as  they 
should  find  the  channel  of  the  river  fordable.  Before  midnight 
the  river  was  sufficiently  drained,  and  both  parties  entered  through 
the  opened  channel  into  the  city.  But  here  they  must  have  en- 
countered an  insuperable  obstacle,  had  it  not  been  for  the  drunk- 
enness, and  consequent  carelessness  of  those  within  the  walls. 
The  brazen  gates  which  opened  down  to  the  river  from  every  street, 
and  which  were  always  shut  by  night,  happened  now  to  be  left 
open ;  and  through  them,  both  parties  of  the  invaders  ascended 
directly  from  the  channel  of  the  river  into  the  city.  Thus  remark- 
ably was  a  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  addressed  to  Cyrus  by  name,  and 
uttered  more  than  a  hundred  years  before  he  was  born,  fulfilled 
at  this  time  :  "  I  will  go  before  thee,  and  make  the  crooked  places 
straight ;  /  ivill  open  the  two-leaved  gates.,  and  the  gates  shall  not  he 
shut  "  (Is.  xlv.  1,  2). 

S. — AVhat  took  place  after  the  soldiers  had  entered  the  city  ? 

F. — They  proceeded  directly  to  the  palace,  where  Belshazzar 
and  his  lords  were  drinking  wine  out  of  the  golden  and  silver 
vessels  which  had  been  plundered  from  the  temple  at  Jerusalem, 
and  where  the  mysterious  hand- writing  on  the  Avail  had  just  been 
interpreted  by  Daniel.  Here  the}'"  surprised  and  slew  the  guards ; 
and  when  the  palace  gates  were  opened,  they  rushed  forward  and 
planted  themselves  within.  The  king  and  his  nobles  encountered 
them,  sword  in  hand,  but  they,  and  all  who  resisted,  Avere  imme- 
diately slain.  After  this,  a  proclamation  was  issued,  promising  life 
and  protection  to  such  as  would  lay  down  their  arms,  and  threat- 
ening destruction  to  all  who  refused.  Whereupon,  all  quietly  sub- 
mitted to  the  conqueror,  and  Cyrus  became  master  of  the  city. 

S. — What  can  be  said  of  Daniel  at  this  time  and  during  the 
period  since  Nebuchadnezzar's  death  ? 

F. — Daniel  was  now  an  old  man  ;  he  cannot  have  been  less  than 


386  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

eighty  years  of  age.  We  hear  little  of  him  after  Nebuchadnezzar's 
death,  until  he  was  called  to  interpret  the  hand-writing  upon  the 
wall.  In  the  first  year  of  Belshazzar,  he  had  his  remarkable  vision 
of  the  four  beasts,  denoting  the  four  great  monarchies  of  the 
ancient  world,  to  be  followed  by  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  Christ. 
Ill  the  third  year  of  Belshazzar,  he  had  his  vision  of  the  ram  and 
the  he-goat,  by  which  were  set  forth  the  overthrow  of  the  Persian 
empire  by  Alexander  the  Great,  and  the  terrible  persecution  of 
the  Jews  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  one  of  the  kings  of  Syria.  At 
this  time,  Daniel  "  was  occupied  in  the  king's  business ;  "  which 
shows  that  he  was  in  office  under  Belshazzar,  though  we  hear  but 
little  of  him. 

>S'. — What  became  of  Babylon,  after  its  capture  by  Cj^rus  ? 

F. — The  Babylonish  empire  now  came  to  an  end,  after  it  had 
existed, — reckoning  from  the  time  of  Nimrod, — seventeen  hundred 
years.  The  city,  to  be  sure,  was  not  at  once  destroyed,  but  it 
never  flourished  more.  Its  decline  was  gradual,  but  constant, 
until  it  became  a  heap  of  ruins,  and  all  that  the  prophets  had  fore- 
told of  its  desolation  was  accomplished. 


CONVERSATION  11. 

THE  JEWS  UNDER  THE  MEDO-PERSIANS.— Darius.— Daniel  the  prophet  made 
a  priuce. — Deatli  of  Darius. — Tiie  proclamatiou  of  Cyrus. — Liberatiiifj  the  Jews. — 
Cyrus  fore-ordainod  for  this  act. — The  iuHueuce  of  Dauiel  in  restoration. — Zerubbabel 
the  leader. — A  contribution  of  over  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  doHars. — An 
example  of  liberality. — Laying  the  foundation  of  the  second  temple. — Zoroaster  the 
philosopher. — The  Zend-Avesta.— Xerxes. — His  immen.se  army. 

Son. — After  the  fall  of  Babylon,  who  reigned  over  the  INIeclo- 
Persian  empire  ? 

Father. — Daniel  tells  us  it  was  Darius  the  Mede  ;  and  this  is 
true.  For  though  Cyrus  had  won  it  by  his  valor,  yet  so  long  as 
his  uncle  lived, — who  was  also  his  father-in-law, — he  allowed  him 
not  only  a  joint  title  to  the  kingdom,  but  the  chief  place  of  honor 
in  it.  This  is  that  Darius  who  set  over  the  kingdom  a  hundred 
and  twenty  princes,  and  over  these  three  presidents,  of  whom 
Daniel  was  first ;  and  who  thought  to  set  Daniel  over  the  whole 
realm.  Tliis  is  that  Darius  who,  to  gratify  the  envy  of  his  princes, 
cast  Daniel  into  the  den  of  lions  ;  and  who,  upon  his  miraculous 
deliverance,  published  a  decree  that  "men  should,  everywhere,  fear 
and  tremble  before  the  God  of  Daniel ;  for  he  is  the  living  God, 
and  steadfast  forever,  and  his  dominion  shall  be  even  unto  the  end." 

S. — Where  was  Cyrus  during  these  first  years  after  the  conquest 
of  Babylon? 

F. — While  Darius  was  gOA'erning  at  Babylon,  Cyrus  and  his  army 
were  in  Syria,  Palestine,  and  Egypt,  subduing  the  restive  nations, 
and  setting  in  order  the  affairs  of  his  vast  kingdom.  The  symbolic 
ram  was  "  pushing  westward,  and  northward,  and  southward,  and 
there  was  none  that  could  deliver  out  of  his  hand."  Cyrus  was 
absent  on  this  expedition  about  two  years,  when  he  was  summoned 
home  by  the  death  of  Darius.  He  now  became  sole  monarch  of  the 
Medo-Persian  empire,  over  which  he  reigned  in  great  prosperity 
for  the  next  seven  years. 

*S'. — What  did  Cvrus  perform  in  behalf  of  the  Jews  ? 


388  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — Long  before  Jerusalem  was  destroyed,  God  had  said  to  his 
people  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah ;  "  Ye  shall  serve  the  king  of 
Babylon  seventy  years ;  and  after  seventy  years  shall  be  accom- 
plished, I  will  visit  you,  and  perform  ni}^  good  word  towards  you,  in 
causing  you  to  return  to  this  place "  (Jer.  xxv.  11).  At  a  still 
earlier  period,  God  had  spoken  of  Cyrus  hy  name,  as  the  instrument 
by  whom  the  restoration  Avas  to  be  accomplished.  It  was  Cyrus 
who  should  "  say  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shall  he  built,  and  to  the  tem- 
ple, Thy  foundation  shall  he  laid''''  (Is.  xlix.  28).  Accordingly,  in 
the  very  first  year  of  his  reign,  Cyrus  "made  proclamation  through- 
out all  his  kingdom,  and  put  it  in  Avriting,  saying,  The  Lord  God 
of  heaven  hath  given  me  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  and  hath 
charged  me  to  build  him  a  house  in  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah. 
Who  is  there  among  you  of  all  his  people  ?  His  God  be  with  him, 
and  let  him  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  build  the  house  of  the  Lord 
God  of  Israel,  which  is  at  Jerusalem.  And  whoso  sojourneth  in 
any  place,  let  the  men  of  his  place  help  him,  with  silver,  and  with 
gold,  and  with  goods,  and  with  beasts,  besides  the  free-will  offerings 
which  are  for  the  house  which  is  in  Jerusalem"  (Ezra  i.  2-4). 

*S'. — Is  it  certain  that  the  captivity  of  the  Jews  had  now  con- 
tinued seventy  years? 

F. — This  question  can  be  easily  settled.  It  commenced  a  year 
and  two  months  previous  to  the  death  of  Nabopolassar,  the  father  of 
Nebuchadnezzar, — when  Daniel  and  his  three  friends,  and  many 
others,  were  carried  away.  It  continued  through  the  entire  reign 
of  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his  successors,  till  the  fall  of  Babylon,  and 
through  the  two  years  of  Darius  the  Mede,  making,  in  all,  a  period 
of  sixty-nine  years  and  two  months.  If  we  suppose  the  proclama- 
tion above  quoted  to  have  been  issued  in  the  tenth  month  of  the 
first  year  of  Cvrus, — which  is  as  early  in  the  year  as  could  well  be 
expected, — we  have  precisely  the  term  of  seventy  years,  from  the 
commencement  of  the  captivity  to  the  decree  of  restoration. 

>S'. — Is  it  likely  that  Daniel  had  anything  to  do  in  procuring  this 
decree  of  restoration? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  389 

F. — I  tliink  it  is.  Daniel  was  now  a  venerable  man,  an  old  min- 
ister of  state,  famed  for  his  great  wisdom  all  over  the  east,  and  of 
long  experience  in  the  management  of  public  affairs.  He  had 
learned  from  books  that  the  years  of  predicted  captivity  were  now 
accomplished,  and  had  been  much  in  prayer  for  the  restoration  of 
his  people.  xVs  he  had  the  ear  of  Cyrus,  it  is  next  to  certain  that 
he  would  use  his  influence  Avith  him  to  bring  about  this  desirable 
event.  It  is  evident  from  the  proclamation  of  Cyrus,  that  he  had 
seen  those  prophecies  of  Isaiah  in  which  he  was  designated  as  the 
restorer  of  the  Jews ;  and  who  so  likely  to  make  him  acquainted 
with  them  as  his  prime  minister  and  chief  counselor,  Daniel  ? 

S. — To  what  extent  did  the  Jews  take  advantage  of  the  decree 
of  Cyrus? 

F. — In  consequence  of  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  the  Jews  and  Israel- 
ites gathered  themselves  together  out  of  the  several  parts  of  his 
empire  to  the  number  of  forty-three  thousand.  With  their  servants, 
they  numbered  fifty  thousand.  I  saw  the  Jews  and  Israelites  gath- 
ered themselves  together ;  for  the  decree  of  emancipation  extended 
to  all  alike,  and  it  is  certain  that  many  of  the  latter  returned 
with  the  Jews.  They  had  for  their  leaders  Zerubbabel,  the  son  of 
Salathiel,  of  the  seed  royal,  and  Joshua,  the  son  of  Jozadak,  the 
high  priest.  Unto  them  were  delivered  all  the  vessels  of  gold  and 
silver,  which  Nebuchadnezzar  had  taken  from  the  old  temple  at 
Jerusalem.  A  part  of  these  were  now  taken  to  Jerusalem,  and  the 
remainder  were  brought  by  Ezra  at  a  later  period. 

S. — Did  most  of  the  Jews  now  return  to  Jerusalem,  or  did  many 
remain  behind  ? 

F. — Vast  numbers,  and  those  in  general  of  the  richest  class,  re- 
mained behind.  They  were  well  to  do  in  Chaldea,  and  did  not  relish 
the  thought  of  a  removal.  Hence,  from  this  time,  we  find  multi- 
tudes of  Jews  in  those  eastern  countries,  where  they  continued  till 
the  coming  of  Christ,  and  where  their  posterity  remain  unto  this  day. 

aS*. — How  was  it  with  the  returning  Jews,  and  what  was  their 
success? 


390  CONVERSATIONS  ON  TEE  BIBLE. 

F. — The  exiles  under  Zerubbabel  and  Joshua  arrived  in  Judea 
in  the  month  Nisam — the  first  of  their  year,  corresponding  to  a 
part  of  our  March  and  April.  Their  first  effort  was  to  provide 
themselves  dwellings,  and  to  commence  the  cultivation  of  their 
fields.  But  in  the  month  Tisri,  the  seventh  of  their  year,  they 
assembled  at  Jerusalem,  and  united  in  celebrating  their  great 
annual  festivals.  At  the  same  time  they  made  a  contribution  for 
the  re-building  of  the  temple,  amounting  to  more  than  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  dollars  of  our  money — a  prodigious  sum  to 
be  offered  by  these  poor  exiles — an  .  example  of  liberality  such  as 
the  world  has  rarely  seen.  In  the  second  month  of  the  next  year, 
the  foundations  of  the  new  temple  were  laid  with  great  solemnity, — 
some  shouting  and  others  weeping,  so  that  "  the  noise  was  heard 
afar  off." 

S. — How  large  was  the  second  temple  ? 

F. — It  was  of  equal  dimensions  with  the  first ;  being  built  on  the 
same  foundation.  Still,  it  was  in  many  respects  far  inferior.  It 
was  not  built  of  such  costly  materials,  or  adorned  with  such  splen- 
did ornaments,  or  surrounded  with  such  elegant  porches  and  courts. 
It  was  also  lacking  in  those  peculiar  tokens  of  the  Divine  presence 
and  favor, — the  original  ark  of  the  covenant  and  tables  of  stone, 
the  dazzling  Shekinah,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  the  holy  anoint- 
ing oil,  and  the  holy  fire.  But  all  these  defects  were  more  than 
compensated  when  the  Lord  whom  they  sought  came  suddenly  to 
his  temple,  and  Christ,  the  great  Prophet,  Priest  and  King,  hon- 
ored it  with  his  presence  and  worship. 

S. — How  were  the  Samaritans  affected  when  they  heard  of  the 
return  of  the  Jews,  and  their  efforts  to  rebuild  their  temple  ? 

F. — They  sent  messengers  to  the  Jews,  offering  to  assist  them  in 
the  work,  and  to  unite  with  them  in  acts  of  worship ;  which  offers 
the  Jews  declined.  They  did  not  acknowledge  them  as  brethren  of 
the  same  faith  ;  and  besides,  they  suspected  the  motives  of  the 
Samaritans.  They  had  not  come  to  do  them  good,  but  hurt.  The 
sequel  proved  that  these  suspicions  were  too  well  founded.    Because 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  391 

the  Jews  declined  their  assistance  and  fellowsliip,  the  Samaritans 
became  henceforth  their  bitterest  enemies.  They  strove,  by  all 
means,  to  embarrass  and  liinder  them. 

S. — Who  succeeded  Cyrus  on  the  throne  of  Persia  ? 

F. — Cambyses  his  son,  called  by  Ezra,  Ahasuerus  (Chap.  iv.  6). 
To  him  the  enemies  of  the  Jews  made  supjDlication  against  them  ; 
and  though  he  would  not  revoke  his  father's  decree,  he  rather  dis- 
couraged than  aided  the  work  at  Jerusalem.  Cambyses  died  after 
a  reign  of  between  seven  and  eight  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Smerdis,  a  usurper,  who  pretended  to  be  a  son  of  Cyrus,  and  whom 
Ezra  calls  Artaxerxes  (Chap.  iv.  7).  He  was  induced  by  the 
Samaritans  to  issue  an  order,  which  put  a  stop  to  the  building  of 
the  temple  during  the  remainder  of  his  reign,  which  happily  con- 
tinued only  a  few  months. 

S. — Who  succeeded  Smerdis  ? 

F. — His  successor  was  the  renowned  Darius  Hystaspis,  who 
reigned  thirty-six  years.  He  was  one  of  the  best  friends  and  pow- 
erful supporters  that  the  Jews  ever  had.  The  Samaritans  applied 
to  him,  as  they  had  done  before,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  work  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  but  he  searched  and  found  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  and  resolved 
that  it  should  be  carried  into  execution.  He  commanded  that  the 
tribute  of  the  Samaritans  should  be  paid  over  to  the  Jews,  and  that 
they  should  be  liberally  assisted  with  whatever  else  they  needed. 
He  finally  ordered  that,  if  any  one  should  further  oppose  them,  or 
attempt  in  any  way  to  hinder  them,  a  gallows  should  be  made  from 
the  timber  of  his  house,  and  that  he  should  be  hanged  thereon.  At 
the  same  time,  the  people  were  stirred  up,  by  the  fervid  appeals  of 
the  prophet  Haggai,  to  forget  their  discouragements,  and  engage  in 
the  work  of  the  house  with  new  energy  and  zeal.  From  this  time  the 
building  of  the  temple  went  so  rapidly  on  that,  at  the  end  of  three 
years,  it  was  entirely  accomplished.  In  the  sixth  year  of  the  reign 
of  Darius  Hystaspis,  and,  on  the  third  day  of  the  twelfth  Jewish 
month  Adar,  it  was  solemnly  and  joyfully  dedicated.  There  were 
offered  up  at  the  dedication  "  one  hundred  bullocks,  two  hundred 


392  CONVEBSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

rams,  and  four  hundred  lambs,  besides  twelve  he-goats  for  a  sin 
offering,  according  to  the  number  of  the  tribes  of  Israel."  We  have 
here  an  intimation  that  the  persons  concerned  in  this  transaction 
were  not  merely  Jews,  but  members,  to  some  extent,  of  all  the 
tribes  of  Israel. 

S. — What  said  the  Samaritans,  Avhen  the  temple  was  finished  and 
dedicated  ? 

F. — They  claimed  that  they  were  no  longer  under  obligations  to 
pay  custom  or  tribute ;  but  on  referring  the  question  to  Darius,  he 
ordered  that  they  should  observe  his  edict,  and  pay  tribute  as 
before.  It  was  now  needed  for  the  suppo7't  of  the  temple,  as  it 
before  had  been  for  the  building  of  it. 

S. — What  great  Jewish  festival  was  now  celebrated  in  the  new 
temple  ? 

F. — The  Passover.  "  Seven  days,  they  kept  the  feast  of  unleav- 
ened bread  with  joy  ;  for  the  Lord  had  made  them  joyful,  and 
turned  the  heart  of  the  king  of  Assyria  unto  them,  to  strengthen 
their  hands  in  the  work  of  the  God  of  Israel." 

S. — How  long  did  Darius  live,  after  the  dedication  of  the  temple  ? 

F. — About  thirty  years.  He  was  a  prince  of  great  wisdom, 
energy,  clemency  and  justice.  He  was  unfortunate  in  some  of  his 
military  expeditions,  more  especially  those  against  the  Scythians 
and  Athenians.  It  Avas  during  his  reign  that  the  Persians  lost  the 
famous  battle  of  Marathon.  But  he  extended  the  empire  of  Cyrus 
in  other  directions ;  having  added  to  it,  in  the  east,  a  considerable 
part  of  India,  and  in  the  west,  Thrace,  Macedon,  and  the  Ionian 
isles. 

S. — What  distinguished  philosopher  flourished  in  Persia  at  this 
time  ? 

F. — Zoroaster.  He  was  not  the  author  of  the  magician  religion, 
but  only  the  reformer  of  it ;  and  the  principal  improvements  that  he 
made  are  said  to  have  been  borrowed  from  the  Jewish  Scriptures. 
He  may  have  been  personally  acquainted  with  Ezekiel  and  Daniel, 
and  studied  the  writings  of  Moses  and  the  prophets.     Like  Mahomet 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  393 

and  other  impostors,  Zoroaster  pretended  to  liave  been  in  heaven, 
and  to  have  learned  his  religion  there.  He  reformed  the  old 
magianism  in  its  first  principle,  which  Avas  dualism — a  god  of 
light,  and  a  god  of  darkness ;  the  one  the  author  of  all  good,  the 
other  of  all  evil.  In  opposition  to  all  this,  Zoroaster  taught  the 
doctrine  of  one  siqyreme  God — the  prime  Original  and  Author  of  all 
things ;  and  that  the  two  great  leaders  in  tlie  conllict  going  on  in 
this  world  are  both  of  them  derived  and  inferior  beings. 

*S'. — Did  Zoroaster  and  his  followers  worship  images  ? 

F. — They  did  not.  Zoroaster  taught  his  followers  to  worship  the 
sun  and  the  fire, — not  that  he  considered  either  of  these  as  a  god, 
but  they  were  the  special  residences  and  brightest  exhibitions  of 
God.  The  book  containing  the  revelations  of  Zoroaster  is  called 
the  Zend-Avesta,  or  by  contraction  the  Zend.  He  presented  a  copy 
of  it  to  Darius  Hystaspis,  bound  in  eleven  volumes,  each  of  which 
consisted  of  a  hundred  skins  of  vellum.  The  book  is  still  preserved 
among  the  Magians  in  the  east,  and  is  regarded  by  them  Math  great 
veneration.  The  wise  men  who  came  from  the  east  to  worship  our 
Savior  were  undoubtedly  philosophers  of  this  class. 

*S'. — Who  succeeded  Darius  in  the  government? 

F. — His  son  Xerxes,  sometimes  called  the  great.  He  was  a  grand- 
son of  Cyrus,  wdiose  daughter  Darius  had  married.  Xerxes  con- 
firmed to  the  JcAvs  at  Jerusalem  all  the  privileges  which  his  father 
had  granted  them.  In  particular,  he  ordered  that  the  tribute  from 
the  Samaritans  for  the  support  of  the  temple  worship  should  be 
paid. 

S. — For  what  was  the  reign  of  Xerxes  chiefl}'  remarkable  ? 

F. — For  his  unfortunate  expedition  in  Greece.  His  preparations 
for  this,  in  men,  money,  and  naval  armaments  were  immense. 
As  had  been  predicted  by  Daniel,  "he  stirred  up  all  against  the 
realm  of  Grecia "  (Dan.  xi.  2).  He  formed  a  league  with  the 
Carthaginians,  by  which  they  were  to  assist  him  with  an  army  and 
with  ships.  He  drew  together,  from  all  parts  of  his  vast  empire, 
such  a  body  of  men  as  the  world  had  never  seen.     According  to 


394  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


Herodotus,  his  active  forces,  when  he  arrived  in  Greece,  amounted 
to  2,642,610  men;  while  the  servants,  eunuchs,  women,  sutlers,  and 
others  Avho  followed  the  camp,  were  thought  to  be  as  many  more. 
Here  then  was  a  collection  of  more  than  five  millions  of  souls, 
brought  together  at  a  single  point,  for  the  subjugation  of  Greece. 
No  wonder  that  Xerxes  wept,  as  he  looked  down  upon  them  from 
an  eminence,  under  the  impression  that,  in  less  than  a  hundred 
years,  they  would  all  be  dead. 

S. — How  did  this  vast  expedition  terminate  ? 

F. — You  have  all  read  of  the  manner  in  which  this  unwieldy 
army  of  Asiatics  was  received  at  Thermopylse  by  Leonidas,  and 
his  invincible  Spartans.  You  have  read  of  the  battle  of  Salamis, 
where  the  Greeks  took  and  destroyed  hundreds  of  the  Persian  ships, 
and  obliged  the  rest  to  flee  to  the  coasts  of  Asia.  Upon  the  loss  of 
his  fleet,  Xerxes,  with  the  greater  part  of  his  army,  hastened  back 
into  Asia,  and  took  up  their  winter-quarters  at  Sardis.  Mean- 
while, the  Carthaginians,  on  whom  he  had  relied  to  assist  liim, 
were  so  totally  defeated  in  Sicily,  that  scarcely  a  man  remained 
to  tell  of  the  disaster.  On  his  return  out  of  Greece,  Xerxes  left 
behind  him  Mardonius,  one  of  his  generals,  with  three  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  men.  These  encountered  the  Greeks  at  Platea, 
the  next  year,  where  they  were  utterly  defeated,  and  the  most  of 
them  were  slain. 

S. — "What  did  Xerxes  now  do  ? 

F. — He  lost  no  time  in  getting  back  to  Persia.  He  only  stopped 
to  destroy  and  to  plunder  all  the  idolatrous  temples  that  came  in 
his  way.  He  is  supposed  to  have  done  this,  first,  because,  being 
himself  a  Magian,  he  was  opposed  to  idol  worship ;  and,  secondly, 
because  he  needed  the  spoils  of  the  temples  to  idemnify  him  for 
the  enormous  expenses  of  the  war.  From  this  time,  we  hear  of  no 
great  Persian  expedition  into  Greece  ;  but  soon  the  tide  of  war 
flows  in  the  other  direction,  and  Greece  is  pouring  her  armies  into 
Persia. 

>S'. — What  can  be  said  of  Xerxes,  after  his  return  to  Persia  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  395 


F. — The  remainder  of  his  reign  was  not  creditable  to  him.  He 
became  involved  in  shameful  domestic  troubles,  which  could  be 
terminated  only  in  cruelty  and  blood.  When  these  were  adjusted, 
he  gave  himself  up  to  luxury  and  ease,  minding  nothing  but  the 
gratification  of  his  pleasures  and  lusts ;  on  which  account  one  of 
his  military  officers  conspired  against  him,  and  slew  him  in  his 
bed. 

S. — By  whom  was  he  succeeded  ? 

F. — By  his  third  son,  Artaxerxes  Longimanus.  He  Avas  the 
great  grandson  of  Cyrus.  The  incidents  of  his  reign,  with  the 
tistinguished  favor  which  he  showed  to  the  Jews,  will  be  the 
subject  of  our  next  conversation. 


35 


CONVERSATION  III. 

THE  JEWS  UNDER  THE  MEDO-PERSIANS.— Artaxerxes  supposed  to  have  been 
the  husband  of  Esther. — The  decree  of  divorce. — Ezra  and  his  commission. — The  pre- 
diction of  Daniel. — Ezra's  government. — The  great  work  of  his  life. — Introduction  of 
the  synagogue. — Nehemiah  builds  the  walls  of  Jerusalem. — Origin  of  the  Samaritan 
Pentateuch.— Malachi  the  last  of  the  prophets. — Socrates  the  philosopher. — Plato 
born. 

Son. — At  the  close  of  our  last  conversation,  yon  said  that  Xerxes 
was  sncceeded  by  his  third  son,  Artaxerxes  Longimanus.  Was 
he  the  husband  of  Esther  ? 

Father. — It  has  long  been  a  question,  which  of  the  Persian 
kinss  was  the  husband  of  Esther.  I  think  that  it  must  have  been 
Artaxerxes  Longimanus.  He  had  great  difficulties  to  contend 
with  in  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  more  especially  from  those 
who  had  slain  his  father,  and  from  his  eldest  brother,  governor 
of  Bastria.  But  by  his  energy  and  wisdom,  these  were  at  length 
overcome ;  after  which  he  set  himself  to  reform  abuses  and  dis- 
orders in  his  empire,  to  call  the  governors  of  the  provinces  to 
an  account,  and  to  remove  such  as  had  proved  themselves  un- 
worthy. By  these  means,  he  not  only  strengthened  himself  in 
the  kingdom,  but  secured  the  affection  and  confidence  of  his 
subjects. 

>S'. — When  peace  had  been  restored,  and  the  government  was 
established,  how  did  he  celebrate  his  victories  ? 

F. — He  appointed  a  solemn  festival  to  be  observed  in  his  palace 
for  the  term  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  days  ;  and  when  these  were 
ended,  he  made  one  for  the  people  that  were  in  Shushan,  seven 
days.  His  queen,  at  the  same  time,  made  a  like  entertainment  in 
her  apartments  for  the  women.  "  On  the  seventh  day,  Avhen  the 
heart  of  the  king  was  merry  with  wine,  he  commanded  his  seven 
chamberlains  to  bring  in  the  queen,  with  the  crown  royal  on  her 
head,  that  he  might  show  to  the  princes  and  people  her  beauty. 
But  the  fair  queen  resented  this  injunction,  as  being  inconsistent 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  397 

witli  lier  dignity,  and  unbecoming  the  modesty  of  her  sex.  She 
woidd  not  come.  Upon  this,  the  king  was  highly  incensed,  and 
called  around  him  his  wise  counselors,  that  he  might  confer  with 
them  in  regard  to  her.  Believing  that  the  example  of  disobedi- 
ence which  the  queen  had  set,  to  be  one  of  dangerous  influence 
in  the  realm,  they  advised  that  she  be  forthwith  deposed  and 
divorced;  that  she  come  no  more  into  the  presence  of  the  king; 
and  that  her  royal  state  should  be  given  to  another,  better  than 
herself.  This  advice  was  accepted  of  the  king,  and  a  decree  went 
forth  for  its  immediate  execution. 

S. — What  followed  the  disgrace  of  the  queen  ? 

F. — This  opened  the  way  for  the  elevation  of  Esther,  whose 
story  is  told  with  inimitable  beauty  in  the  book  wliich  bears  her 
name.  Her  Jewish  name  was  Hadassah,  but  her  Persian  name 
was  Esther.  She  was  instrumental,  in  the  hand  of  God,  of  pro- 
moting, in  various  ways,  the  interests  of  her  people, — more  espe- 
cially in  delivering  them  from  a  threatened  destruction,  and  in 
effecting  the  ruin  of  their  proud  and  cruel  enemy. 

S. — In  the  first  part  of  this  reign,  what  did  Ezra  do  for  the 
benefit  of  his  people  ? 

F. — He  obtained  a  commission  from  the  king  and  his  counselors, 
to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  with  as  many  of  the  Jews  as  were  i)leased  to 
accompany  him,  with  full  power  to  settle  the  state  and  reform  the 
church  of  Israel,  and  to  govern  both  according  to  their  own  laws. 

S. — Who  was  Ezra? 

F. — He  was  a  priest  by  descent,  and  a  very  learned  and  holy 
man.     He  is  spoken  of  as  "  a  ready  scribe  in  the  law  of  his  God." 

S. — What  will  you  say  of  the  commission  given  to  Ezra  ? 

F. — In  its  provisions  it  was  liberal,  ample,  and  abundant.  It 
granted  every  favor,  and  all  the  authority,  which  any  one  could 
desire.  He  was  authorized  to  take  Avith  him  any  number  of  his 
people  who  were  minded  to  go,  and  any  amount  in  gold  and  silver, 
and  in  vessels  for  the  house  of  the  Lord,  which  might  be  contrib- 
uted.    The  decree  is  given  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Ezra,  and 


398  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

nothing  is  wanting  to  it  which  the  most  devoted  friend  of  the 
Jews  could  require.  Ezra  must  have  been  in  high  reputation 
at  the  Persian  court  for  integrity  and  wisdom,  or  such  a  commis- 
sion could  never  have  been  given  him. 

S. — Having  received  his  commission,  what  did  Ezra  do  ? 

F. — He  hastened  his  preparations  with  all  possible  dispatch, 
and  commenced  his  journey  from  Babylon  to  Jerusalem  on  the 
first  day  of  the  first  Jewish  month — about  the  middle  of  our 
March.  He  halted  a  little  at  the  river  Ahava,  till  the  rest  of  his 
company  came  up, — when,  in  a  solemn  fast,  he  commended  both 
himself  and  them  to  the  protection  of  the  Almight}^  They  then 
set  forward  on  their  way  to  Jerusalem,  where  they  safely  arrived 
on  the  first  day  of  the  fifth  month,  having  been  just  four  months 
on  the  journey.  Arrived  at  the  temple,  Ezra  delivered  to  the 
keepers  of  it  the  gifts  and  offerings  which  had  been  made  by  the 
king  and  his  princes,  amounting  to  one  hundred  talents  of  gold, 
and  six  hundred  and  fifty  talents  of  silver,  together  with  vessels 
of  gold  and  silver  for  the  service  of  the  temple,  of  exceeding 
value.  He  then  entered  upon  his  government,  according  to  the 
king's  decree,  and  continued  it,  much  to  the  edification  and  com- 
fort of  the  people,  for  the  next  thirteen  years. 

S. — What  prediction  of  Daniel  began  to  have  its  fulfillment,  in 
this  decree  of  Artaxerxes  ? 

F. — His  memorable  prediction  of  the  seventy  weeks,  at  the  close 
of  which  the  Messiah  was  to  be  cut  off.  The  prediction  of  Daniel 
is  as  follows  :  "  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people, 
and  upon  the  holy  city,  to  finish  the  trangression,  and  to  make  an 
end  of  sins,  and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in 
everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy, 
and  to  anoint  the  Most  Holy"  (Dan.,  Chap.  ix).  It  has  been 
generally  understood  that,  in  these  seventy  prophetic  weeks,  or  four 
hundred  and  ninety  days,  each  day  stands  for  a  year ;  so  that  the 
whole  period  designated  is  four  hundred  and  ninety  years.  Now  it 
is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  between  the  seventh  year  of  Artaxerxes, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  399 

when  the  above  commission  was  given  to  Ezra,  and  the  year  of 
our  Lord's  crucifixion,  is  precisely  four  hundred  and  ninety  years.* 
This  statement  may  be  relied  on  as  true,  whatever  theories  may 
have  been  got  up  to  account  for  it. 

S. — What  was  the  condition  of  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem,  when 
Ezra  arrived  among  them  ? 

F. — He  found  the  people  much  degenerated  and  corrupted,  and 
in  need  of  a  thorough  reformation  ;  and  such  a  reformation  he 
immediately  attempted.  He  obliged  those  persons  who  had  con- 
nected themselves  in  marriage  with  the  people  of  the  land  to  put 
away  their  strange  wives,  and  to  conform,  in  this  respect,  to  the 
law  of  Moses.  He  took  much  pains  to  instruct  the  people  in  the 
law,  multiplying  copies  of  it,  and  causing  it  to  be  read  and 
expounded  on  great  public  occasions.  By  degrees,  he  brought 
the  Jewish  church  into  an  outward  visible  state,  in  which  it 
remained  to  the  coming  of  Christ. 

S. — What  other  important  work  in  regard  to  the  Scriptures 
did  Ezra  accomplish  ? 

F. — Being  an  inspired  man,  and  one  thoroughly  versed  in  the 
sacred  books  of  the  Jews,  he  was  led  to  collect  and  revise  those 
holy  records,  and  give  to  the  Church  a  correct  edition  of  them, 
or  of  such  of  them  as  had  then  been  written.  Some  of  these  books 
he  wrote  himself,  and  the  others  he  so  prepared  and  set  in  order, 
as  in  effect  to  settle  the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures. 
He  settled  it  so  perfectly,  that  it  received  the  sanction  of  our 
Savior  and  his  Apostles,  and  has  been  accepted  by  Jews  and 
Christians  in  all  periods  since.  This  was  the  great  work  of  Ezra's 
life.  For  this  he  will  be  remembered  with  gratitude  and  honor, 
so  long  as  the  Bible  is  read,  or  the  world  endures. 

*S'. — Did  Ezra  introduce  any  new  religious  institution  among 
the  Jews  at  Jerusalem? 


*Our  Savior  was  crucified  in  the  year  of  the  Julian  period,  4746.  The  seventh  year 
of  Artaxerxes  was  the  year  of  the  Julian  period,  4256.  The  difference  between  the  two 
numbers  is  490. 


400  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  is  supposed  to  have  instituted  the  synagogue  and  its 
worship.  It  is  certain  that  there  were  no  synagogues  in  the  land 
previous  to  his  time ;  and  that  they  were  in  use  shortly  after  his 
death.  It  would  seem,  also,  that  they  must  have  been  of  Divine 
institution,  or  they  would  not  have  been  so  frequented  by  our 
Savior.  Neither  can  it  be  doubted  that  they  were  of  great  advan- 
tage to  the  Israelites,  tending,  as  they  necessarily  must,  to  multiply 
copies  of  the  sacred  writings,  and  to  promote  a  better  understand- 
ing of  them  among  the  people.  Previous  to  the  establishment  of 
synagogues,  the  people,  having  no  religious  worship  but  that  of  the 
temple,  and  being  comparatively  ignorant  of  the  law,  were  perpetu- 
ally running  into  idolatry.  The  gods  of  the  surrounding  nations 
were  a  constant  snare  to  them.  But  after  the  introduction  of  syn- 
agogues, in  which  the  law  was  read  and  explained  every  Sabbath, 
they  were  as  much  averse  to  idolatry  as  they  had  been  before 
addicted  to  it,  and  so  it  has  been  with  the  Jews  ever  since.  They 
have  fallen  into  other  great  sins,  but  with  the  worship  of  idols 
they  have  not  been  chargeable. 

S. — What  were  Ezra's  qualifications  as  a  ruler,  a  magistrate? 

F. — He  seems  to  have  been  more  a  scholar  than  a  ruler,  more  a 
teacher  than  a  magistrate.  After  his  utmost  endeavors  to  reform 
abuses  and  to  carry  forward  the  work  of  the  Lord,  irregularities 
crept  in  among  the  people,  and  the  inclosing  and  fortifying  of 
Jerusalem  were  not  completed.  This  is  evident  from  the  sad 
account  of  things  which  was  brought  to  Nehemiah,  then  in  Persia, 
and  which  led  to  his  appointment,  in  place  of  Ezra,  in  the  govern- 
ment. 

S. — Who  was  Nehemiah,  and  what  was  his  character? 

F. — Nehemiah  was  a  Jew,  who  originated  at  Jerusalem,  but  his 
ancestors  are  not  known.  He  was  now  an  inhabitant  of  Shushan, 
the  royal  city  of  Persia,  was  a  man  of  indomitable  energy  and  pro- 
found wisdom,  was  a  possessor  of  great  wealth,  and  held  an 
important  office  near  the  king.  He  learned  from  certain  Jews  who 
came  from  Jerusalem,  that  his  brethren  there  were  in  great  affliction 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  401 

and  reproach  ;  that  the  walls  of  tlie  city  were  still  Ijroken  down  ; 
that  its  gates  had  not  Leen  set  up  ;  and  that,  though  the  temple 
had  been  rebuilt  and  its  worship  established,  the  city  remained  com- 
paratively desolate. 

*S'. — How  was  Nehemiah  affected  by  these  tidings  from  Jerusa- 
lem ? 

F. — He  sat  down  and  wept,  and  mourned,  and  fasted  certain 
days,  and  prayed  before  the  God  of  heaven.  He  resolved,  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  would  apply  to  the  king  for  permission  and 
authority  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  and  set  up  its  gates,  and  repair  its 
broken  Avails.  Accordingly  he  sought  an  opportunit}',  when  it 
came  his  turn  to  wait  upon  the  king,  and  when  Queen  Esther  was 
sitting  beside  him,  to  present  a  petition  to  this  effect, — which  was 
readily  and  liberally  granted.  A  royal  decree  was  issued  for  build- 
ing the  walls  and  gates  of  Jerusalem,  and  Nehemiah  was  sent  there 
as  governor  of  Judea,  to  put  it  in  execution.  And  to  do  him  the 
greater  honor,  the  king  sent  a  guard  of  horse,  to  conduct  him  in 
safety  to  his  province.  He  also  wrote  letters  to  all  the  governors 
west  of  the  Euphrates  to  aid  him  in  his  work,  and  to  the  keepers  of 
his  forests  to  grant  him  as  much  timber  out  of  them  as  he  should 
need.  Thus  commissioned  and  furnished,  Nehemiah  went  up  to 
Jerusalem,  took  upon  him  the  administration  of  the  government, 
and  immediately  commenced  the  great  work  for  which  he  had 
come. 

*S'. — How  were  the  Samaritans  affected  by  the  new  order  of 
thino's  at  Jerusalem? 

F. — No  sooner  had  the  Jews,  under  their  new  governor,  com- 
menced repairing  the  gates  and  walls  of  their  city,  than  they  were 
assailed  by  their  old  adversaries — Sanballat  and  his  followers — with 
threats  of  personal  force  and  violence ;  so  that  while  a  part  of  the 
people  labored  on  the  wall,  another  part  were  under  arms  for  their 
defense.  In  consequence  of  the  excellent  arrangements  of  the  gov- 
ernor, and  the  diligence  and  perseverance  of  the  people,  the  wall  of 
Jerusalem  w^as  repaired  in  less  than  two  months,  the  gates  were  set 


402  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

up,  and  a  public  dedication  was  celebrated  with  great  solemnity  by 
all  the  Jews. 

S. — What  further  did  Nehemiah  do  for  the  people  ? 

F. — He  set  himself  to  ease  the  people  of  their  burthens,  and  to 
accomplish  necessary  reforms, — in  all  which  he  was  essentially 
aided  by  the  counsel  and  co-operation  of  Ezra.  Previous  to  this 
time,  the  rich  among  the  Jews  had  been  in  the  habit  of  exacting 
usury  of  their  poorer  brethren,  and  of  oppressing  them  in  various 
ways,  so  that  many  had  been  constrained  to  alienate  their  posses- 
sions, and  even  to  sell  their  children  into  servitude,  to  procure 
bread  for  the  support  of  themselves  and  their  families.  Upon  hear- 
ing of  these  things,  Nehemiah  resolved  to  correct  the  evil  at  once  ; 
and  so,  having  called  the  people  together,  he  showed  them  how 
grossly  they  had  violated  the  laws  of  God,  and  how  much  their 
oppressions  tended  to  provoke  his  wrath.  Whereupon  it  was  re- 
solved, by  the  whole  assembly,  not  only  that  these  odious  exactions 
should  cease,  but  that  full  restitution  should  be  made. 

S. — What  plan  did  Nehemiah  now  propose  for  the  benefit  of  the 
new  city,  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — He  wished  to  increase  its  population — to  fill  it  up  with 
houses  and  inhabitants ;  for  while  it  lay  unfortified,  without  walls 
and  gates,  few  had  been  disposed  to  build  houses  there.  He  first 
persuaded  all  whom  he  could  influence  to  come  and  establish  their 
homes  in  the  city,  and  then  every  tenth  man  was  taken  by  lot,  and 
obliged  to  come  and  make  his  dwelling  there.  In  this  way  the  city 
was  soon  filled  with  inhabitants,  and  began  to  assume  something  of 
its  ancient  greatness. 

S. — Did  Nehemiah  continue  permanently  at  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — He  did  not.  When  he  had  been  twelve  years  governor  of 
Judea,  he  was  under  a  necessity  of  returning  to  the  Persian  court, 
where  he  was  detained  for  about  five  years.  He  then  returned 
with  a  new  commission,  and  found  that  his  presence  was  greatly 
needed  at  Jerusalem.  He  found,  for  example,  that  his  old  enemy, 
Tobiah  the  Ammonite,  had  allied  himself  in  marriage  to  the  family 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  403 

of  the  high  priest ;  and  that  the  high  priest,  for  his  acconimo(Ui- 
tion,  had  assigned  to  him  one  of  the  chambers  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord.  But  Nehemiah  was  not  long  in  removing  this  eviL  He  cast 
forth,  at  once,  "  all  the  household  stuff  of  Tobiali  out  of  the 
chamber,"  and  commanded  that  it  should  be  cleansed  and  restored 
to  its  former  use. 

Nehemiah  also  found  that,  during  his  absence,  the  portions  of  the 
singers  and  Levites  had  not  been  given  them  ;  so  that  they  had  been 
constrained  to  forsake  their  appropriate  employments  about  the 
temple,  and  to  seek  a  support  by  the  labors  of  the  field.  This  evil, 
also,  was  soon  corrected.  Nehemiah  got  the  rulers  together  and 
chided  them  saying,  '•  Why  is  the  house  of  God  forsaken  ?  "  Under 
his  vigorous  administration,  the  Levites  were  quickly  restored  to 
their  places,  and  the  tithes  of  corn  and  wine  were  duly  rendered. 

The  next  abuse  with  which  Nehemiah  grappled  was  the  vio- 
lation of  the  Sabbath.  There  were  some  among  the  Jews  who 
trode  their  wine  presses  on  the  Sabbath,  and  brought  sheaves  and 
all  manner  of  burdens  into  Jerusalem ;  also  the  Tj^rian  merchants 
brought  fish,  and  all  kinds  of  ware,  and  sold  them  on  the  Sabbath 
day.  For  these  things,  Nehemiah  sharply  reproved  the  rulers  of 
the  city,  saying,  "  Did  not  your  fathers  thus  ?  And  did  not  our 
God  bring  all  this  evil  upon  us  and  upon  this  city  ?  Yet  ye  bring 
more  wrath  upon  Israel  by  profaning  the  Sabbath"  (Neh.  xiii.  18). 
From  this  time  Nehemiah  commanded  that  the  gates  of  the  city 
should  be  shut  the  evening  before  the  Sabbath,  and  that  no  secular 
business  should  be  performed,  either  within  the  city,  or  without  the 
walls. 

In  putting  an  end  to  unlawful  marriages,  Nehemiah  found  that 
Manasseh,  one  of  the  sons  of  the  high  priest,  had  married  a  daughter 
of  the  notorious  Sanballat,  governor  of  Samaria,  and  refused  to  put 
his  wife  away.  "  Wherefore,"  says  Nehemiah,  "  I  chased  him  from 
me." 

>S'. — What  became  of  this  Manasseh  ? 

F. — He  fled  to  Samaria,  carrying  a  copy  of  the  law  of  Moses 


404  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

with  him.  He  persuaded  Sanballat  to  build  a  temple  for  him  on 
mount  Gerizim,  after  the  same  pattern  as  that  at  Jerusalem.  We 
have  here  the  origin  of  the  Samaritan  j)entateuch,  and  of  the 
worship  on  mount  Gerizim,  which  continued  till  the  coming  of 
Christ. 

>S'. — What  prophet  appeared  in  Jerusalem  in  these  last  days  of 
Nehemiah  ? 

F. — Malachi,  the  last  of  the  Hebrew  prophets.  He  does  not,  like 
Haggai  and  Zechariah,  reprove  the  people  for  neglecting  to  build 
the  fallen  temple,  but  for  neglecting  what  appertained  to  the  true 
worship  of  God  in  it.  In  short,  the  corruptions  which  he  charges 
upon  the  Jews  are  the  same  which  Nehemiah  undertook  to  correct, 
on  his  return  from  the  Persian  court. 

S. — How  long  after  this  did  Nehemiah  live  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know  precisely.  The  reformation  Avliich  he  so 
happily  accomplished  after  his  return  to  Jerusalem,  is  the  last  of  his 
history  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge.  He  outlived  his  great 
prince  and  patron  Artaxerxes,  and  was  retained  in  office  under 
Darius  Nothus  his  son.  Nehemiah,  Ezra  and  Malachi — fellow  labor- 
ers in  the  work  of  the  Lord  at  Jerusalem — disappear  from  the 
sacred  page  together  ;  and  with  them, — with  the  exception  of  a  few 
names  in  the  genealogies, — the  canon  of  the  Old  Testament  closes. 

S. — What  Avas  the  character  of  Nehemiah  ? 

F. — This  must  be  gathered  from  his  works.  That  he  was  a  man 
of  great  firmness,  decision  and  energy  as  well  as  goodness — "a 
terror  to  evil-doers  and  a  praise  to  them  that  do  well," — is  very 
obvious.  That  he  had  a  quick  and  strong  insight  into  human 
character,  and  much  wisdom  in  the  direction  of  public  affairs  is 
very  plain.  In  short,  he  was,  in  a  sense,  a  model  magiMrate^  raised 
up  and  qualified  for  the  particular  service  to  which  he  was  called, 
and  to  whom  his  nation  was  under  the  highest  obligations.  I  ought 
to  say  a  word  of  his  great  liberality.,  his  'public  sinrit.  During  the 
whole  time  that  he  was  in  office,  he  sustained  the  honors  of  it  with 
a  princely  magnificence,  and  all  at  his  own  personal  expense.     He 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  405 

would  receive  no  salary  or  support  from  the  people,  because  their 
burthens  were  heavy  upon  them  (Chap.  v.  18). 

>S'. — How  long  did  Artaxerxes  (the  Ahasuerus  of  Esther)  reign? 

F. — His  reign  continued  forty-one  years.  His  administration 
was  peaceful  and  prosperous,  and  eminently  favorable  to  the  Jews. 
He  reconquered  the  Egyptians,  who  had  revolted  from  him,  and 
held  them  in  subjection  to  the  end  of  his  reign.  He  succeeded 
early  in  concluding  a  peace  with  the  Greeks,  which  added  much  to 
his  own  security  and  tranquillity.  During  the  latter  part  of  his 
reign  the  Peloponnesian  war  was  raging  in  Greece,  which  furnished 
sufficient  employment  for  that  restless  and  turbulent  people,  with- 
out turning  their  arms  against  the  Persians.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  Socrates  commenced  his  philosophical  career  at  Athens,  and 
that  Plato,  his  most  distinguished  pupil  and  follower,  was  born. 


CONVERSATION  lY. 

PROPHETS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY— Daniel.— His  three  companions.— Their 
education. — Enrolled  among  the  king's  servants. — Daniel's  interpretation  of  the  king's 
dream. — His  elevation  to  po.sts  of  honor. — The  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar. — The  king's 
second  dream. — Daniel's  visions. — The  hand-writing  on  the  wall. — Honored  by  Darius. — 
In  the  den  of  lions. — His  death. — Book  of  Daniel  doubted. 

Son. — How  miicli  do  we  know,  personally,  of  the  prophet  Daniel  ? 

Father. — Very  little  except  what  is  recorded  in  the  book  of 
Daniel ;  and  yet  this  book, — though  not  a  biography  or  history, — 
gives  us  a  pretty  full  account  of  him. 

S. — Please  relate  the  principal  incidents  of  his  life,  as  gathered 
from  the  book  itself. 

F. — Daniel  was  a  Jew,  born  probably  at  Jerusalem,  and  connected 
with  the  royal  family,  if  not  of  royal  descent.  Of  his  first  years, 
nothing  is  recorded.  Early  in  life,  at  the  age,  perhaps,  of  from 
twelve  to  fifteen,  he  was  carried  a  captive  from  Jerusalem  to 
Babylon.  He  was  in  the  first  company  of  captives  that  were  car- 
ried away, — in  the  fourth  year  of  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim,  king  of 
Judah.  There  were  three  others,  apparently  of  the  same  rank,  viz.^ 
Hananiah,  Michael  and  Azariah,  who  were  carried  away  with  him. 
These  four  were  selected,  on  account  of  their  rank,  and  their  high 
promise,  to  be  educated  in  the  language  and  literature  of  the 
Chaldees,  that  they  might  be  employed  in  the  service  of  the  king. 
Liberal  provision  was  made  for  them  by  the  government,  that,  at 
the  end  of  three  years,  they  might  be  prepared  for  examination. 

Daniel  had  before  been  instructed  in  Hebrew  learning,  and  was 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  principles  of  the  religion  of  his 
fathers.  Indeed,  I  would  hope  that  both  he  and  his  three  friends 
were,  at  this  early  period,  truly  pious.  They  were  conscientiously 
averse,  at  any  rate,  to  accepting  the  provision  which  the  king  had 
made  for  them.  They  would  not  "defile  themselves  with  their 
portion  of  the  king's  meat,  nor  of  the  wine  which  he  drank." 
Hence  Daniel  made  application  to  the  prince  of  the  eunuchs,  who 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  407 

had  charge  of  them,  that  they  might  be  permitted  to  live  after 
their  own  hiws  and  customs,  and  not  after  those  of  the  Chakleans. 
And  after  some  hesitation  and  trial,  the  request  of  Daniel  was 
granted. 

For  their  conscientious  fidelity  in  this  matter,  God  blessed  these 
young  men,  so  that,  at  the  end  of  three  years,  they  were  examined 
and  highly  approved  of  the  king,  and  were  enrolled  among  his 
servants.  Indeed,  it  is  said  that  "in  all  matters  of  wisdom,  and 
understanding,  that  the  king  inquired  of  them,  he  found  them  ten 
times  better  than  all  the  magicians  and  astrologers  that  were  in  his 
realm." 

S. — On  what  occasion  was  the  superior  Avisdom  of  Daniel  soon 
brought  to  the  test  ? 

F. — In  the  second  year  of  king  Nebuchadnezzar's  reign,  he  had  a 
dream  which,  at  the  time,  troubled  him,  but  which,  when  he 
awoke,  was  gone  from  him.  He  could  remember  nothing  of  it. 
And  none  of  his  magicians  and  astrologers  could  help  him  in  this 
matter ;  and  they  were  all  of  them  in  danger  of  losing  their  lives 
because  of  their  inability.  But  Avhen  Daniel  was  summoned,  he 
related  to  the  king  his  forgotten  dream,  and  told  him  the  interpre- 
tation— an  interpretation  which  has  been  in  process  of  fulfillment 
ever  since,  and  which  reaches  down  to  the  end  of  time.  In  con- 
sequence of  this,  "  Then  the  king  made  Daniel  a  great  man,  and 
gave  him  many  great  gifts,  and  made  him  ruler  over  the  whole 
province  of  Babylon,  and  chief  of  the  governors  over  all  the  wise 
men  of  Babylon  "  (Chap.  ii.  48). 

S. — Some  years  after  this,  it  seems  that  Nebuchadnezzar  set  up 
a  great  image  of  gold,— perhaps  a  likeness  of  that  which  he  had 
seen  in  vision, — and  required  all  his  princes,  and  governors, 
officers,  and  people  to  fall  down  and  worship  it.  And  for  refusing 
to  do  this,  the  three  friends  of  Daniel  were  cast  into  a  burning, 
fiery  furnace.  But  we  hear  nothing  of  Daniel  on  this  occasion. 
Where  was  he  ?  Was  he  absent  ?  Or  did  he  actually  worship  the 
image  ? 


408  CONVERSATION'S  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — It  is  hardly  likely  that  Daniel  was  absent ;  and  it  is  ver}- 
certain  that  he  did  not  worship  the  image.  The  more  probable 
supposition  is,  that  he  was  not  complained  of.  It  was  envy  which 
prompted  the  complaints,  and  their  authors  scarcely  dared  to  aim 
their  shafts  so  high  as  Daniel.  At  any  rate,  they  deemed  it  safer 
to  dispose  of  some  of  the  smaller  offenders  first.  The  issue  proved 
that  they  had  better  not  have  meddled  even  with  these  (Chap.  iii). 

*S'. — Later  on  in  his  reign,  Nebuchadnezzar  had  another  dream 
— a  great  tree  presented  itself,  whose  height  reached  unto  heaven, — 
and  under  whose  shadow,  all  the  beasts  of  the  earth  found  shelter. 
He  again  summoned  all  his  magicians  and  astrologers,  and  told  them 
the  dream  ;  but  they  did  not  interpret  it.     And  why  did  they  not? 

F. — Perhaps  they  could  not,  or  foreseeing  the  probable  drift  of 
the  vision,  perhaps  they  dare  not.  But  Daniel  fearlessly  told  the 
interpretation,  and  warned  the  king  to  prepare  for  what  was  before 
him.  The  tree  represented  the  king  himself;  its  fall  denoted  a 
state  of  beastly  derangement  into  which  the  king  would  fall,  and 
in  which  he  would  continue  seven  years  ;  the  sprouts  from  the 
roots  denoted  that  he  would  recover  his  reason,  and  that  his 
kingdom  should  be  restored  to  him.  All  this,  suddenly  and  lit- 
erally came  to  pass ;  and  after  his  restoration,  he  made  a  noble 
confession,  showing  that  he  had  been  spiritually  instructed  and 
profited,  and  had  become  a  Avorshiper  of  the  true  God :  "  I  do 
bless  the  Most  High,  and  I  praise  and  honor  him,  that  liveth 
forever,  whose  kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  by  whom 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  reputed  as  nothing ;  who  doeth 
according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  earth,  and  none  can  stay  his  hand,  or  say  unto  him, 
What  doest  thou  ?  "  (Chap.  iv.  35). 

S. — How  long  did  Nebuchadnezzar  live  after  this  period  ? 

F. — Not  very  long ;  and  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  and 
the  reigns  of  his  three  immediate  successors, — although  Daniel 
was  still  in  office,  and  did,  as  he  tells  us,  "  the  king's  business,"  we 
hear  nothing  of  him  in  any  public  capacity. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  409 

*S'. — Had  he  no  visions  during  this  period  ? 

F. — He  had  two  most  remarkable  visions.  In  the  first  year  of 
Belshazzar,  he  had  his  vision  of  the  four  beasts,  representing  the 
four  great  monarchies  of  the  ancient  workl — the  Babylonian,  the 
Medo-Persian,  the  Grecian,  and  the  Roman — to  be  followed  by  the 
everlasting  kingdom  of  the  Most  High  (Chap.  vii). 

Two  years  later,  he  saw  the  vision  of  the  ram  and  the  he-goat, 
denoting  the  Medo-Persian  empire,  and  its  overthrow  by  the 
Grecian.  He  traces  the  Grecian  empire  until  its  division,  on  the 
death  of  Alexander,  into  four  kingdoms.  He  traces  one  of  these 
kingdoms  (the  Syrian)  to  the  time  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  setting 
forth  his  oppressions  and  persecutions,  and  his  final  overthrow. 
"  He  shall  be  broken  without  hand  "  (Chap.  xiii.  25). 

S. — Where  was  Daniel,  when  Babylon  was  taken  ? 

F. — He  was  probably  in  the  city.  Belshazzar  was  having  a 
drunken  frolic,  with  his  nobles,  his  wives,  and  his  concubines,  and 
drinking  wine  out  of  the  golden  vessels  which  had  been  plundered 
from  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  when,  suddenly,  there  appeared  a 
hand,  writing  something  on  the  walls  of  the  palace,  which  no  one 
present  could  read  or  understand.  The  astrologers  and  the  sooth- 
sayers were  called  in,  but  no  one  could  read  the  writing.  Daniel 
is  now  summoned  into  the  royal  presence  ;  and  he  decij)hers  the 
mysterious  inscription,  and  denounces  the  speedy  downfall  of  Bel- 
shazzar and  Babylon.  And  all  this  was  accomplished  at  once. 
Cyrus  and  his  army  have  already  entered  the  city,  and  are  knock- 
ing at  the  palace  gate.  He  makes  for  himself  an  entrance,  destroys 
the  king  and  his  princes,  and  the  city  is  taken. 

S. — How  was  Daniel  regarded  and  treated  by  the  conquerors  ? 

F. — With  great  favor.  Darius  the  Mede  took  possession  of  the 
kingdom,  wdiile  Cyrus  was  pursuing  his  conquests  in  western  Asia. 
"Darius  set  over  the  kingdom  one  hundred  and  twenty  princes, 
and  over  these  three  presidents,  of  whom  Daniel  was  first,  that  the 
princes  might  give  account  unto  them,  and  the  king  should  re- 
ceive no  damage."     Daniel  was  now,  it  would  seem,  a  chief  ruler 


410  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  the  kingdom,  and  "  the  king  tliought  to  set  him  over  the  whole 
realm." 

S. — How  was  this  high  promotion  of  a  foreigner  and  a  Jew 
regarded  by  the  other  officers  of  government  ? 

p^ — It  excited  their  envy,  and  they  sought  his  ruin.  But  they 
could  find  no  occasion  against  him,  except  in  regard  to  his  relig- 
ion. Knowing  that  Daniel  was  in  the  habit  of  praying  daily  to 
the  God  of  heaven,  they  proposed  to  the  old  superstitious  king 
the  passage  of  a  decree,  that  any  person  who,  within  thirty  days, 
should  offer  a  petition  to  any  god  or  man,  except  himself,  should 
be  cast  into  the  den  of  lions.  So  the  king  passed  the  decree — a 
decree  which,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians, 
could  not  be  changed.  Although  Daniel  knew  that  such  a  decree 
had  been  passed,  and  that  it  was  intended  for  his  destruction,  yet 
he  did  not  cease  to  pray.  With  his  windows  open,  "  he  kneeled 
upon  his  knees  three  times  a  day,  and  prayed  and  gave  thanks 
to  God  as  he  did  aforetime."  His  enemies  found  him,  as  they 
expected  to,  in  the  very  act  of  prayer.  They  reported  his  case  to 
the  king ;  and  the  king  felt  constrained,  though  with  great  re- 
luctance, to  consign  him  to  the  den  of  lions, — but  the  God  in 
whom  he  trusted,  was  there  before  him ;  the  lions'  mouths  were 
shut ;  and  no  evil  was  done  to  him.  But  when,  on  the  following 
day,  his  persecutors  were  thrown  to  the  lions,  they  seized  them  and 
"  brake  all  their  bones  in  pieces,  before  they  came  to  the  bottom  of 
the  den." 

S. — Had  Daniel  any  prophetic  visions  or  revelations  during  the 
reign  of  Darius  ? 

F. — He  had ;  but  his  revelations  henceforward  were  made  to 
him,  not,  as  before,  by  symbolic  visions,  but  by  the  ministry  of 
angels.  In  the  first  year  of  Darius,  while  Daniel  was  praying  and 
confessing  his  sins,  and  the  sins  of  his  people,  the  angel  Gabriel 
was  sent  to  assure  him  of  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  at  the  end 
of  seventy  prophetic  weeks,  or  of  490  years — a  jDrediction  which 
was  literally  and  wonderfully  accomplished.     Again,  in  the  third 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  411 

year  of  Cyrus,  when  Darius  was  dead,  and  when  Daniel  had  been 
mourning  and  fasting  three  whole  weeks,  an  angel  came  to  him, 
and  had  a  long  conversation  with  him.  He  told  him  how  many 
kings  would  yet  stand  np  in  Persia  ;  and  how  the  last  of  them 
would  be  overthroAvn  by  the  king  of  Grecia ;  and  how  the  vast 
empire  of  the  king  of  Grecia  would  be  broken  and  divided  towards 
the  four  winds.  Yet  not  to  his  posterity.  He  then  predicts  the 
long  wars  between  the  kings  of  the  north  and  the  kings  of  the 
south — the  kings  of  Syria  and  of  Egypt — down  to  the  death  of 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  and  probably  further,  even  unto  the  end  of 
the  world.  The  prediction  as  to  the  wars  between  the  kings  of 
the  north  and  the  kings  of  the  south,  in  the  eleventh  chapter,  is 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  that  ever  was  uttered,  and  was  most 
remarkably  fufilled,  as  any  one,  by  consulting  the  histories  of  these 
old  monarchs,  will  see. 

S. — Do  we  hear  anything  of  Daniel  later  than  the  third  year  of 
C^^rus  ? 

F. — We  do  not.  There  are  many  traditions,  but  nothing  is  cer- 
tainl}^  knoAvn.  He  was  now  a  venerable  man, — not  less  than 
ninety,  and  the  probability  is  that  he  died  m  Persia.  He  is  the 
only  one  of  the  prophets  who  enjoyed  any  great  degree  of  worldly 
favor.  From  his  early  promotion  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  to  the  day 
of  his  death,  he  seems  to  have  been  in  the  courts  of  princes,  and 
to  have  been  in  their  employ.  And  yet  he  never  swerved,  so  far 
as  we  know,  from  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord.  He  could  go  into 
the  lion's  den,  but  he  could  not  omit  the  duty  of  prayer.  Neither 
frowns  nor  favors,  promises  nor  threats,  had  any  influence  with 
him  to  turn  him  aside  from  what  he  conceived  to  be  the  path  of 
his  duty. 

S. — Has  the  authenticit}'  of  the  book  of  Daniel  been  called  in 
question  ? 

F. — It  has  been  often,  from  the  days  of  Porphj-rj-,  in  the  third 
century,  to  the  present  time.  The  principal  argument  against  the 
book  is  the  obvious  fulfillment  of  its  predictions,  indicating  that  it 

26 


412  CONVERSATIOXS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


must  be  history,  and  not  prophecy  ;  a  fair  example  this  of  the 
inconsistency  of  unbelievers.  If  the  predictions  of  Scripture  are 
not  directly  and  obviously  fulfilled,  then  they  are  no  predictions  at 
all,  and  nothing  can  be  proved  by  them.  But  if  their  fulfillment 
is  too  plain  to  be  denied,  then  they  must  have  been  written  after 
the  events.  The  authenticity  of  no  one  of  our  sacred  books  rests 
on  surer  evidence  than  that  of  Daniel. 

S. — How  happens  it  that,  in  our  Hebrew  Bibles,  the  book  of 
Daniel  does  not  stand  with  the  other  prophets,  but  is  thrust  away 
among  the  Proverbs  and  Psalms  ? 

F. — The  probable  reason  is,  that  Daniel's  prediction  of  the 
Messiah,  with  the  precise  time  of  his  coming,  was  one  which  the 
modern  Jews  wished  to  keep  out  of  sight.  It  is  certain  that  the 
book  of  Daniel  was  originally  in  its  place  among  the  prophets,  that 
it  was  so  until  after  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  that  its  displacement 
in  our  common  Hebrew  Bibles  is  a  late  occurrence. 

*S'. — Who  wrote  the  book  of  Daniel  ? 

F. — Probably  Daniel  himself.  In  repeated  instances  the  Avriter 
speaks  of  himself  as  "  I  Daniel."  It  is  not  poetry,  like  most  of  the 
other  prophets,  but  is  written  in  prose. 

S. — Is  the  book  of  Daniel  referred  to,  as  a  part  of  Scripture,  by 
our  Savior  ? 

F.—lt  is  (see  Matt.  xxiv.  15). 

S. — Why  was  not  the  book  of  Daniel  written  in  Hebrew,  like  the 
other  books  of  the  Old  Testament  ? 

F. — About  half  of  it  is  written  in  Hebrew ;  the  other  part  is  in 
Chaldee,  which  differs  slightly  from  the  Hebrew.  Nor  is  this  to  be 
wondered  at,  when  we  consider  that  the  book  was  written  in  the 
East,  by  one  who  had  long  used  the  Chaldean  language,  and  for  the 
use  of  a  people  to  whom  the  Chaldee  had  become  familiar.  The 
book  of  Ezra  also  has  several  chapters  in  Chaldee. 

S. — What  book  of  the  New  Testament  does  Daniel  most  resemble? 

F. — Perhaps  the  Apocalypse.  The  symbols  employed  are.  like 
those  of  the  Apocalypse,  and  it  looks  forward  to  many  of  the  same 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  413 

events.  The  two  books  should  be  studied  together,  and  critically 
compared  the  one  with  the  other. 

*S'. — How  was  Daniel  regarded  in  the  ancient  eastern  world  ? 

F. — His  name  was  widely  known,  and  greatly  respected,  as  it 
deserved  to  be.  A  man  who  could  pass  through  prosperity  and 
adversity,  as  he  did,  unscathed — who  preferred  to  lay  down  the 
highest  offices  which  kings  could  confer,  and  subject  himself  to 
shame  and  a  horrid  death,  rather  than  shrink,  in  the  slightest 
degree,  from  what  he  conceived  to  be  his  religious  dut}^,  is  cer- 
tainly entitled  to  the  respect  and  admiration  of  the  world. 


CONVERSATION  V. 

PROPHETS  DURING  THE  CAPTIVITY.— Ezekiel.—Cotemporary  with  Jeremiah.— 
Called  to  the  prophetic  office. — Death  of  his  Avife. — Forbidden  to  mourn  for  her. — His 
character  and  reputation  among  the  Jews. — His  regard  for  Daniel. — His  probable  death 
in  Chaldea  at  an  old  age. 

Son. — When  Avas  Ezekiel  carried  to  Babylon  ? 

Father. — He  was  in  the  second  company  of  exiles,  among  whom 
was  Jehoiachin,  son  of  Jehoiakim,  one  of  the  Jewish  kings.  This 
was  eight  years  after  the  first  deportation,  when  Daniel  was  carried 
away,  and  eleven  years  previous  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

S. — How  old  was  Ezekiel,  when  he  went  into  captivity  ? 

F. — Probably,  about  twenty-five.  Five  years  after  this,  he  was 
called  to  the  prophetical  office ;  and  this,  I  think,  is  what  he  means 
in  the  first  verse  of  his  prophecy,  where  he  says  that  he  was  called 
"in  the  thirtieth  year,"  i.  e.,  in  the  thirtieth  jeav  of  his  age. 
Ezekiel,  like  Jeremiah,  was  a  priest,  and  could  not  enter  on  his 
priestly  duties  until  his  thirtieth  year  (see  Numb.  Chap.  iv).  He 
seems,  therefore,  to  have  assumed  the  prophetical  office,  and  the 
priestly  office,  at  the  same  time. 

S. — Was  Ezekiel  cotemporary  with  Jeremiah? 

F. — He  was  ;  but  did  not  enter  on  his  prophetical  work  so  soon. 
He  prophesied  also  in  a  different  place, — Jeremiah  at  Jerusalem, 
and  Ezekiel  among  the  captives  in  Chaldea.  Ezekiel  was  also 
cotemporary  with  Daniel,  and  like  him  among  the  captives  ;  and  yet 
it  does  not  seem  that  they  were  personally  acquainted.  Daniel  was 
at  the  capital,  and  belonged  to  the  king's  court ;  Ezekiel  was  by  the 
river  Chebar,  two  hundred  miles  awa3\  Daniel  was  much  employed 
"in  the  king's  business  ; "  Ezekiel  was  a  simple  prophet,  in  private 
life.  Ezekiel  knew  of  Daniel,  and  had  a  great  veneration  for  him. 
He  classes  him  with  Noah  and  Job  (Chap.  xiv.  14).  But  the 
probability  is,  that  they  never  met. 

S. — Where  was  the  river  Chebar,  where  Ezekiel  lived  ? 

F. — It  was  the    same  as  the    river    Chaboras,  flowing  into  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  415 

Euplirates  in  upper  Mesopotamia,  two  liinidred  miles  north  of  tlie 
city  of  Babylon.  It  would  seem  that  many  of  the  captive  Jews, — 
perhaps  most  of  those  who  came  with  Ezekiel, — were  settled  here. 

S. — How  was  Ezekiel  called  to  the  prophetical  office? 

F. — The  manner  of  it  was  sublime  and  wonderful,  and  is  fully 
described  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  prophecy.  The  living  creatures 
whom  he  saw  were  cherubim,  often  spoken  of  in  other  parts  of  the 
Scripture.  They  are,  as  it  seems  to  me,  a  high  order  of  angelic 
beings, — the  personal  guards  and  servants,  so  to  speak,  of  the  eter- 
nal throne.  They  are  here,  in  the  first  chapter  of  Ezekiel,  repre- 
sented as  in  a  peculiar  attitude  of  service — bearing  up  the  throne  of 
God,  and  constituting  the  chariot  of  his  glory.  "  Above  the  firma- 
ment that  was  over  the  heads  of  the  cherubim  was  the  likeness  of  a 
throne ;  and  upon  the  likeness  of  the  throne  Avas  the  appearance  of 
a  man  above  upon  it.  This  was  the  appearance  of  the  likeness  of 
the  glory  of  the  Lord.  And  when  I  saw  it,  I  fell  u23on  \\\y  face  " 
(Chap.  i.  26,  28). 

S. — How  was  Ezekiel  regarded  by  the  people  among  whom  he 
prophesied  ? 

F. — He  Avas  respected  and  honored  by  them.  They  regarded 
him  as  a  teacher  sent  from  God.  Accordingly  we  hear,  in  repeated 
instances,  of  the  elders  coming  and  sitting  before  him,  to  inquire  of 
the  Lord.  But  though  they  heard  his  warnings  respectfully,  they 
were  often  slow  to  regard  them.  And  God  speaks  of  them  after 
this  manner :  "  They  come  unto  thee  as  the  people  cometh,  and 
they  sit  before  thee  as  my  peoj^le,  and  they  hear  thy  words,  but 
they  will  not  do  them.  For  with  their  mouth  they  show  much 
love,  but  their  heart  goeth  after  their  covetousness  "  (Chap,  xxxiii. 
21). 

S. — Had  the  prophet  Ezekiel  a  famil}"  ? 

F. — We  know  that  he  had  a  wife ;  for  we  read  of  her  sudden 
death,  on  the  day  that  Jerusalem  was  taken.  And  he  was  for- 
bidden to  mourn  for  her,  that  he  might  be  a  sign  unto  his  people 
(Chap.  xxiv.  16). 


41G  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — In  what  ways  were  the  predictions  of  Ezekiel  delivered  ? 

F. — They  were  variously  delivered, — sometimes  in  visions  ; 
sometimes  in  symbolical  actions ;  sometimes  in  similitudes,  parables 
and  proverbs ;  sometimes  in  poems,  and  direct  predictions.  The 
extent  of  his  subjects  and  the  marvelous  nature  of  his  revelations 
made  him  occasionally  obscure. 

aS'. — Into  how  many  sections  may  this  book  be  divided? 

F. — Into  as  many  as  four.  First,  we  have  his  remarkable  call 
and  commission  to  be  a  prophet  to  his  people.  This  occupies  the 
three  first  chapters,  and  comes  up  again  in  chapter  thirty-third. 
The  second  contains  his  reproofs  and  warnings,  sometimes  in- 
tended for  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem ;  at  other  times,  for  the  captives 
in  Babylon.  These  run  on  from  the  fourth  chapter  to  the  twenty- 
fourth, — which  announces  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
Chaldeans.  In  the  third  division,  we  have  the  prophet's  denunci- 
ations against  the  surrounding  nations, — Moab,  Tyre,  Assyria, 
Egypt,  and  especially  the  spiteful  Edomites.  These  predictions 
were  all  fulfilled  in  the  conquests  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  The  last 
division  contains  predictions,  highly  symbolical,  of  the  restoration 
of  Israel,  and  of  the  church's  triumphs  and  glories  in  the  latter 
days.  In  this  section,  I  include  the  last  eight  chapters,  containing 
Ezekiel's  vision  of  the  city  and  temple  to  be "  rebuilt,  which  is  to 
be  taken,  not  literally,  but  symbolically,  as  setting  forth  the  future 
glories  and  peace  of  Zion. 

S. — How  are  we  to  account  for  the  restiveness  and  obstinacy  of 
the  Jews  in  Babylon,  and  for  their  strong  expectations  of  a  speedy 
return  to  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — Under  the  reign  of  Zedekiah,  which  lasted  eleven  years,  the 
Jews  at  Jerusalem  and  at  Babylon  began  to  take  courage.  They 
thought  that  the  Chaldeans  had  done  their  worst,  that  the}^  would 
not  again  invade  Judea,  or  if  they  did,  that  Pharaoh  would  come 
forth  with  an  army  and  conquer  them.  They  were  inclined  to  go 
on  with  their  idolatries,  and  put  their  trust  in  Egypt.  It  was  this 
feeling  which  led  Zedekiah  to  throw  off  the  yoke  of  Babylon,  and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  417 


form  an  alliance  with  Egypt,  which  ended  in  his  destruction.  This 
feeling,  and  the  sins  growing  out  of  it,  were  sternly  rebuked  both 
by  Jeremiah  at  Jerusalem,  and  by  Ezekiel  in  Babylon — both  lifting 
up  their  voices  together,  and  pleading  in  vain.  The  people  A^;^ere 
bent  upon  their  delusions,  and  would  not  be  dissuaded,  until  the 
destruction  came. 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  as  to  the  style  of  Ezekiel  ? 

F. — It  has  been  variously  represented  by  critics.  Except  where 
it  is  obscured  by  symbols  and  allegories,  it  strikes  me  as  very 
plain  and  forcible.  Ezekiel  speaks  strongly,  like  a  man  in  earnest, 
and  when  he  has  an  unwelcome  message  to  deliver,  he  does  it 
tenderly  but  faithfully.  He  was  bound  to  declare  the  whole 
counsel  of  God,  whether  men  would  hear,  or  forbear  (Chap.  ii.  5). 

S. — Do  we  know  anything  of  Ezekiel's  death  ? 

F. — If  he  was  alive,  he  must  have  been  an  old  man,  when  the 
decree  of  Cyrus  for  the  restoration  of  Israel  was  promulged,  and 
could  not  have  returned  with  the  exiles  to  Jerusalem.  The 
probability  is,  that  his  bones,  like  those  of  Daniel,  were  laid  in 
Babylon. 


CONVERSATION  YI. 

PROPHETS  IN  JUDEA  AFTER  THE  RESTORATION.— Haggai.— What  is  known 
coucerulug  him. — Returns  from  captivity. — Zechariali. — Latter  part  of  his  book  called 
in  question. — His  peculiarities. — Malachi. — Last  of  tlie  prophets. — Date  of  his  labors. 
— General  character  of  this  book  of  prophecy. 

HAGGAI. 

Son. — How  much  do  we  know  of  the  prophet  Haggai  ? 

Fatlier. — No  more  than  what  may  be  gathered  from  the  circum- 
stances m  which  he  was  phiced,  and  the  book  which  bears  his 
name.  In  consequence  of  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  given  in  the  first 
year  of  his  reign,  permitting  the  Jews  and  Israelites  to  return  to 
their  own  land,  and  rebuild  their  temple,  and  re-establish  the 
worship  of  God,  according  to  the  laws  and  usages  of  their  fathers, 
more  than  forty  thousand  of  tliis  people,  under  the  leadership  of 
Zerubbabel  and  of  Joshua  the  high  priest,  went  up  together  from 
Babylon  to  Jerusalem.  Among  this  number,  in  all  probability, 
were  Haggai  and  Zechariali.  The  people  entered  at  once  upon  their 
work,  builded  an  altar,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  new  tem- 
ple. But  they  were  soon  interrupted  by  the  death  of  Cyrus,  and 
by  the  interference  and  complaints  of  the  Samaritans,  so  that  for 
the  next  sixteen  years,  under  the  reigns  of  Cambyses  and  Smerdis, 
almost  nothing  was  done.  But  when  Darius  Hystaspis  came  to  the 
throne,  he  renewed  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  and  proffered  to  the  Jews 
at  Jerusalem  his  powerful  assistance  in  carrying  forward  the  work 
of  the  temple.  At  the  same  time  Haggai  and  Zechariah  came 
forward,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  rel)uke  the  people  for  their 
backwardness  in  this  work,  and  urge  them  forward  in  their  duty. 
"  Is  it  time  for  you  to  dwell  in  your  ceiled  houses,  and  this  house 
be  waste  ?  Go  up  to  the  mountain  and  bring  wood,  and  build  the 
house,  and  I  will  take  pleasure  in  it,  and  I  will  be  glorified,  saith 
the  Lord  God"  (Hag.  i.  4,  8). 

S. — How  long  did  Haggai  continue  in  the  prophetical  office  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  419 

F. — We  do  not  know.  All  that  we  have  from  him  was  deliv- 
ered in  about  three  months.  His  first  message  is  dated  "in  the 
second  year  of  Hystaspis,  in  the  sixth  month,  and  the  first  day  of 
the  month  "  (Chap.  i.  1).  His  second  message  is  dated  "  in  the 
seventh  month,  and  the  twenty-first  day  of  the  month  "  (Chap.  ii. 
1).  His  third  message  bears  date  "  tlie  twenty-fourth  day  of  the 
ninth  month"  (Chap.  ii.  10).  His  fourth  message  has  the  same 
date  (Chap.  ii.  20).  All  these  messages  were  delivered  directly  to 
Zerubbabel,  but  were  intended  for  the  ears  and  the  benefit  of  the 
whole  people. 

S. — And  what  was  the  result  of  all  these  encouragements? 

F. — Ezra  hath  told  us  :  ''  The  elders  of  the  Jews  builded  and 
they  prospered  through  the  prophesying  of  Haggai  the  prophet, 
and  Zechariah  the  son  of  Iddo.  And  they  builded  the  temple, 
and  they  finished  it,  according  to  the  commandment  of  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  according  to  the  commandment  of  Cyrus,  and  Darius, 
and  Artaxerxes,  kings  of  Persia.  And  the  house  was  finished  on 
the  third  day  of  the  month  Adar,  which  was  in  the  sixth  year  of 
the  reign  of  Darius  Hystaspis"  (Ezra  vi.  14).  Without  doiibt, 
Haggai  was  earnest  and  active  in  all  these  efforts,  but  we  hear 
nothing  further  directly  from  him.  He  probably  lived  to  see  the 
new  temple  dedicated,  and  died  there  in  the  laud  of  his  fore- 
fathers. 

ZECHAEIAH. 

S. — Is  this  prophet  the  Zechariah  referred  to  by  our  Savior 
(Mat.  xxiii.  35),  as  having  been  "  slain  between  the  temple  and 
the  altar?  " 

F. — Probably  not.  There  is  no  evidence  that  the  prophet  of 
whom  we  speak  was  slain  in  this  wa5^  Besides,  there  is  another 
Zechariah  spoken  of  in  the  Old  Testament,  "  who  was  slain  be- 
tween the  temple  and  the  altar  "  (see  2  Chron.  xxiv.  21). 

S. — But  the  Zechariah  spoken  of  in  the  Chronicles  Avas  the  son 
of  Jehoiada,  and  not  of  Barachiah. 

F. — True ;  but  Jehoiada,  like  many  other  Jews,  may  have  had 


420  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


two  names.  Thus  Matthew  was  also  called  Levi,  and  Lebbeus, 
Thaddeus,  and  Simon,  Cephas.  So  good  old  Jehoiada  may  have 
acquired  the  honorable  name  of  Barachiah — "  one  who  blesses 
God."  We  must  make  this  supposition,  or  admit  an  error  on  the 
part  of  some  old  transcriber  of  Matthew's  gospel. 

>S'. — But  the  declaration  of  our  Savior  implies  that  the  Zechariah 
of  whom  he  spake  was  one  of  the  last  of  the  prophets,  or,  at  least, 
that  his  name  stood  among  the  last  in  the  Jewish  Bible. 

^. — And  so  it  did.  The  second  book  of  the  Chronicles  was  the 
last  book  in  the  Bible  that  our  Savior  used,  and  is  still  last  in  our 
Hebrew  Bibles.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  for  our  Savior  to  con- 
trast the  blood  of  righteous  Abel,  spoken  of  at  the  beginning  of  his 
Bible,  with  the  blood  of  Zechariah  spoken  of  at  the  end  of  it. 

^S'. — In  the  first  verse  of  Zechariah,  he  is  said  to  be  the  son  of 
Barachiah,  the  son  of  Iddo  the  prophet.  Whereas,  in  Ezra  v.  1,  he 
is  spoken  of  as  the  son  of  Iddo. 

F. — It  was  common  for  the  Jews,  you  know,  in  making  out  their 
genealogies,  to  substitute  the  name  of  the  grandfather  for  that  of 
the  father,  and  the  name  of  the  grandchild  for  that  of  the  child. 

8. — It  seems  that  Zechariah  and  Haggai  were  united  in  their 
endeavors  to  urge  forward  the  building  of  the  temple.  Did  not 
Zechariah  continue  his  prophetic  labors  longer  than  Haggai  ? 

J^. — He  did ;  but  how  much  longer  we  do  not  know ;  since  the 
latter  part  of  Zechariah's  prophecies  are  without  dates. 

*S'. — Has  not  the  authenticity  of  the  latter  part  of  Zechariah's 
prophecy  been  called  in  question  ? 

F. — It  has ;  but  I  think  without  any  sufficient  reason. 

*S'. — Into  how  many  parts  may  the  prophecy  of  Zechariah  be 
divided  ? 

F. — Into  four.  The  first  part — the  introduction — is  embraced  in 
the  first  six  verses.  The  second  part  contains  the  visions  of  Zecha- 
riah, interpreted,  in  every  case,  by  a  ministering  angel.  These  ex- 
tend from  the  introduction  to  the  end  of  chapter  sixth.  These 
interpretations  are,  for  the  most  part,  encouraging  and  comforting 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  423 

to  the  restored  Jews.  The  third  part  is  included  in  chapters  seven 
and  eight.  It  seems  that  the  Jews,  during  their  exile  in  Babylon, 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  observing  certain  fasts,  commemorative  of 
sad  events  in  the  desolation  of  their  city  and  country.  But  now, — 
as  they  had  been  restored  to  their  own  land,  and  the  temple  was 
being  rebuilt,  it  was  doubtful  whether  these  fasts  should  be  con- 
tinued. They  consulted  their  prophets  and  priests  on  the  subject ; 
and  we  have  the  answer  of  Zechariah  in  chapters  seven  and  eight. 
By  the  mouth  of  his  prophets  God  directs  that  the  fasts  be  discon- 
tinued ;  but  with  this  answer  are  mingled  various  instructions  and 
reproofs.  The  fourth  part  of  the  book  consists  of  the  remaining 
chapters  which  are  without  date.  They  contain  denunciations  upon 
some  of  the  surrounding  nations,  as  Syria,  Tyre  and  the  Philistines, 
and  numerous  promises  of  prosperity  to  Zion,  to  be  accomplished 
in  the  latter  days.  We  have,  in  these  chapters,  manifest  predic- 
tions of  the  sufferings  of  Christ  (Chap.  xiii.  7),  of  the  price  to  be 
paid  for  him  (Chap.  xi.  12,  13),  and  of  his  final  coming,  kingdom 
and  glor}'-  (Chap.  xiv). 

*S'. — Do  we  know  anything  further  as  to  the  personal  history  of 
Zechariah  ? 

F. — He  undoubtedly  came  from  Babylon  to  Jerusalem,  with  his 
parents,  in  the  first  company  of  returned  Jews,  at  the  same  time 
with  Zerubbabel,  Joshua,  and  Haggai.  And  as  he  is  spoken  of  in  his 
prophecy  as  a  "young man  "  (Chap.  ii.  4),  he  could  have  been  little 
more  than  a  child,  at  the  time  of  the  journey.  We  have  no  reliable 
account  of  his  death. 

MALACHI.  ^ 

F. — The  prophet  Malachi — the  last  of  the  Hebrew  prophets — 
resembles,  in  some  respects,  Elijah  the  Tishbite.  He  comes  before 
us  with  his  burden  suddenly,  we  know  not  whence ;  delivers  his 
message  with  solemn  earnestness ;  reproves  the  hyj)ocrisies  and  in- 
consistencies of  the  people ;  points  forward  to  the  glorious,  yet  in 
some  respects  dreadful,  future  ;  and  disappears  as  suddenly  as  he 
came. 


424  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Do  we  know  definitely  tlie  time  of  his  prophecy  ? 

F. — We  infer  it  with  a  good  degree  of  certainty  by  comparing 
his  propliecy  with  cotemporary  histor}-.  The  temple  had  now  been 
built,  which  places  Malachi  subsequent  to  Haggai  and  Zechariah. 
The  Jews  had  now  a  governor  (Chap.  i.  8),  which  places  him  before 
the  death  of  Nehemiah.  For  after  Nehemiah  they  had  no  governor 
sent  from  Persia.  Then  the  crimes  rebuked  by  Malachi  are  pre- 
cisely those  which  Nehemiah  was  laboring  to  correct.  This  prophet 
does  not,  like  Haggai,  reprove  the  people  for  neglecting  to  build 
the  fallen  temple,  but  for  neglecting  what  appertained  to  the  wor- 
ship of  God  in  it.  They  did  not  bring  in  their  tithes  to  the  priests ; 
they  offered  the  blind  and  the  lame  for  sacrifice ;  they  had  con- 
tracted foreign  marriages ;  in  short,  the  offences  which  ]\Ialachi 
charges  upon  the  Jews  were  precisely  those  which  Nehemiah  was 
laboring  to  correct ;  which  shows  that  they  lived  and  wrought  to- 
gether. 

S. — Why  then  does  not  Nehemiah  make  mention  of  IMalachi  ? 

F. — This  was  hardly  to  be  expected ;  since,  though  they  were 
both  aiming  at  the  same  object,  they  were  laboring  in  different 
fields,  and  by  entirely  different  methods.  Nehemiah  was  doing  his 
work  as  a  magistrate,  and  Malachi  as  a  simple  prophet  of  God. 
Besides,  the  book  of  Nehemiah  does  not  profess  to  be  a  complete 
history  of  the  times,  but  only  a  personal  narrative  of  tlie  acts  of 
the  author. 

S. — How  long  after  Haggai  and  Zechariah  may  it  be  supposed 
that  Malachi  prophesied  ? 

F. — Haggai  commenced  his  labors  about  520  years  before  Christ ; 
and  if  Malachi  lived  in  the  later  times  of  Nehemiah,  he  was  before 
Christ  420  years,  making  a  difference  of  about  one  hundred  years 
between  them. 

S. — What  is  the  general  purport  of  this  last  prophecy  of  the  Old 
Testament  ? 

F. — In  his  first  two  chapters,  Malachi  is  very  severe  upon  the 
priests,  who  dishonored  God,  and  disgraced  themselves,  by  their 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  425 

negligence  und  liypoerisy.  He  reproves  also  tlic  prevailing  sins  of 
the  times,  and  the  abuses  which  had  crept  in  among  the  people. 
In  the  last  two  chapters  he  predicts  the  coming  of  the  forerunner 
of  Christ,  and  also  of  Christ  himself.  "  The  Lord  whom  ye  seek 
shall  come  snddcidy  to  his  temple,  even  the  Messenger  of  the  cove- 
nant whom  ye  delight  in.  liut  Avho  may  abide  the  day  of  his 
coming,  and  who  shall  stand  when  he  appeareth  ?  "  (Chap.  iii.  2.) 
The  great  Messenger  of  the  covenant  is  coming,  not  to  destroy  the 
church  of  the  Old  Testament,  but  to  purify  it.  "  He  will  thorougldy 
Ijurge  his  floor,  and  gather  his  wheat  into  the  garner  "  (Matt.  iii. 
12).  As  though  conscious  that  he  was  to  have  no  successors,  Mal- 
achi  closes  his  message  with  an  exhortation  and  a  promise.  "  Re- 
member the  law  of  Moses,  my  servant,  which  I  commanded  unto 
him  in  Horeb  for  all  Israel,  with  the  statutes  and  the  judgments. 
Behold  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet  before  the  coming  of  the 
great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord ;  and  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of 
the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  their 
fathers,  lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth  Avith  a  curse." 

/S'. — Who  reigned,  at  this  time,  over  the  Persian  empire  ? 

F. — Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  the  husband  of  Esther.  The  sup- 
porter of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  and  the  liberal  patron  and  helper  of 
the  Jews,  was  now  dead,  and  the  throne  was  occupied  by  Darius 
Nothus,  his  son.  By  him,  Nehemiah  Avas  retained  in  office  at  Jeru- 
salem, perhaps  as  long  as  he  lived.  The  good  governor,  and  Ezra, 
the  learned  scribe  and  priest,  and  Malachi,  the  last  prophet,  disap- 
pear from  the  sacred  page  together;  and  with  them  (with  the 
exception  of  a  few  names  in  the  genealogies)  the  canon  of  the  Old 
Testament  is  sealed  up. 


CONVERSATION  VII. 

SKETCH  OF  JEWISH  HISTORY  BETWEEN  THE  TWO  TESTAMENTS.— Dark 

period  of  the  church's  history — Fall  of  the  Persian  Empire. — Alexander  the  Great. — 
His  treatment  of  the  Jews. — His  remarkable  dream. — Its  results. — The  request  of  the 
Jews. — Alexander's  death.— Origin  of  the  Septuagint. — The  famous  Alexandrian 
library. — The  founder. — The  revolt  of  the  Maccabees. — Who  they  were. — The  Roman 
sway  commenced. — Herod's  shocking  cruelt3\ — Origin  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees. 
— Their  belief. — Coming  of  Christ. 

Father. — We  have  now  come  to  the  close  of  the  Old  Testament. 
We  have  spoken  of  its  history,  and  other  sacred  writings  ;  also  of 
the  prophets  which  lived  both  before  and  after  the  captivity.  From 
this  point,  we  might  appropriately  pass  over  to  the  New  Testament ; 
but  I  have  thought  it  might  interest  3'ou,  and  the  better  prepare  us 
for  the  times  of  Christ,  to  give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  intervening 
history,  or  so  much  of  it  as  relates  to  the  Jews. 

Son. — Nothing  could  better  please  me  than  to  follow  you  through 
this  dark  period  of  the  church's  histor3\  At  the  close  of  the  Old 
Testament,  you  told  me  that  Darius  Nothus, — son  of  the  Artaxerxes, 
who  married  Esther,  and  commissioned  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  to  be 
governors  of  Judea, — was  on  the  throne.  How  many  more  kings 
reigned  in  Persia,  and  when  was  the  empire  overthrown  ? 

jp^ — Darius  Nothus  had  four  successors  on-  the  throne  of  Persia, 
the  last  of  whom  was  Darius  Codomanus.  He  was  conquered 
by  Alexander  the  Great,  in  the  year  before  Christ,  331.  With  him 
the  Persian  empire  ended,  and  the  government  of  all  central  and 
western  Asia  fell  into  the  hands  of  Alexander. 

,S'. — How  did  Alexander  treat  the  Jews  ? 

F. — In  general,  with  great  kindness.  He  was  induced  to  this  by 
a  remarkable  occurrence  which  took  place  at  Jerusalem,  and  which 
it  may  be  proper  to  relate.  While  Alexander  was  besieging  Tyre, 
he  suspected  the  Jews  of  favoring  the  Tyrians.  So  after  the  de- 
struction of  Tyre,  liis  intention  was  to  perish  or  destroy  Jerusalem. 
But  God  interposed,  in  a  most  remarkable  manner  for  its  deliver- 
ance.    In  a  vision  of  the  night,  he  directed  Jaddua,  the  high  priest, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  429 

not  to  fight  with  Alexander,  but  to  go  out  to  him  in  his  pontifical 
robes,  with  the  priests  following  in  their  proper  attire,  and  all  the 
people  in  white  garments.  Accordingly,  Jaddua  prepared  to  do  as 
he  was  directed.  The  next  day  he  went  out  of  the  city,  attended  by 
the  priests  and  people  in  a  long  and  sacred  procession,  and  waited, 
in  the  most  solemn  manner,  the  coming  of  the  king.  As  soon  as 
Alexander  saw  him,  he  was  struck  with  a  profound  astonishment 
and  awe.  He  leaped  from  his  chariot,  and  rushing  forward,  bowed 
down  before  the  high  priest  and  did  him  reverence,  to  the  great  sur- 
prise of  his  generals  and  of  all  who  attended  him.  And  when 
inquired  of  as  to  the  reason  of  what  he  had  done,  he  said  that  he 
did  not  so  much  honor  the  priest,  as  that  Divine  Being  wdiose  priest 
he  was ;  for,  says  he,  "  when  I  was  at  Dio,  in  Macedonia,  and  was 
there  deliberating  with  myself  how  I  should  carry  on  this  w'ar 
against  the  Persians,  and  w'as  much  in  doubt  as  to  the  issue  of  the 
undertaking,  this  very  person,  and  in  this  very  habit,  appeared  to 
me  in  a  dream,  encouraged  me  to  lay  aside  all  distrust  about  the 
matter,  and  pass  boldly  over  into  Asia,  promising  me  that  God 
would  be  my  guide  in  the  expedition,  and  give  me  the  empire  of 
the  Persians.  Wherefore,  seeing  this  sacred  personage,  and  know- 
ing him  to  be  the  same  that  appeared  to  me  in  my  ow]i  country,  I 
feel  assured  that  this  present  war  is  under  the  direction  of  the 
Almighty,  and  he  will  conduct  it  to  a  happy  issue."  Having  thus 
said,  Alexander  kindly  embraced  the  high  priest,  went  with  him 
into  Jerusalem,  and  offered  sacrifices  in  the  temple.*  It  w^as  on 
this  occasion  that  Jaddua  read  to  him  those  portions  of  the  book  of 
Daniel,  in  which  it  w^as  predicted  that  the  Persian  empire  should 
be  overthrown  by  a  Grecian  king.  By  these  Alexander  w-as  still 
further  assured  that  he  should  succeed  in  his  conflict  with  Persia  ; 
and,  at  his  departure,  he  encouraged  the  Jews  to  ask  any  favor  of 
him  which  they  desired.  Whereupon  they  requested  that  they 
might  enjoy  the  freedom   of  their  own   country,   their  laws,  and 


*Josephus  Anti'q.  Book  ii,  Chap.  8. 


430  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

religion,  and  might  be  exempted,  every  seventh  year,  from  paying 
tribute  ;  because,  in  that  year,  according  to  their  law,  they  neitlier 
sow  nor  reap.  This  favor  Alexander  readily  granted,  and  treated 
them,  ever  afterwards,  with  distinguished  favor. 

>S'. — How  long  did  Alexander  live  after  this  ? 

F. — Only  about  six  years.  He  died  from  excessive  drinking,  in 
Babylon,  in  the  year  323  before  Christ,  when  his  vast  empire  was 
divided  into  four  parts,  and  four  of  his  more  distinguished  generals 
reigned  over  them.  Ptolemy  had  Egjqot,  Arabia,  and  Palestine ; 
Cassander  had  Macedon  and  Greece ;  Lysimachus  had  Thrace, 
Bythinia,  and  some  other  provinces  in  North-western  Asia;  and 
Seleucus,  had  all  the  rest.  And  herein  was  fulfilled  several  of 
Daniel's  most  remarkable  predictions  respecting  "the  king  of 
Grecia  "  and  his  successors.* 

S. — With  which  of  these  four  kings  did  the  Jews  come  most 
frequently  in  contact. 

F. — With  Seleucus  and  Ptolemy  and  their  successors ;  or,  in 
other  words,  with  the  kings  of  Syria  and  Egypt.  Jerusalem  lay 
between  their  dominions,  and  in  their  frequent  assaults  upon  each 
other,  the  Jews  suffered  greatly  from  both.  Sometimes  they  were 
subject  to  the  king  of  Syria,  and  then  to  the  king  of  Egypt,  and 
were  often  the  prize  of  victory  one  v/ay  or  the  other. 

S — Under  which  of  the  kings  of  Egypt  was  the  Old  Testament 
translated  into  Greek? 

F. — Under  the  second  of  the  Ptolemies — Ptolemy  Philadelphus, 
about  250  years  l)efore  Christ.  This  translation  is  commonl}' 
called  the  Septuagint.  It  was  generally  used  among  the  Jews, 
wherever  the  Greek  language  was  spoken.  It  was  much  used  in 
Palestine  in  the  days  of  our  Savior,  and  is  frequently  quoted  by 
him  and  the  Apostles. 

S. — Under  which  of  the  Ptolemies  was  the  famous  Alexandrian 
Library  commenced. 


See  Dan.  viii.  8,  21.     Chap.  xi.  3,  4. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  431 

F. — Under  the  first  and  best  of  them,  Ptolemy  Soter ;  but  was 
greatly  increased  by  his  son,  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  and  his  suc- 
cessors. 

*S'. — Who  were  the  Maccabees,  and  what  induced  them  to  revolt 
against  the  Syrians  ? 

F. — The  Maccabees  were  the  seven  sons  of  a  venerable  priest, 
Matthias,  all  of  them  valiant  men,  and  zealous,  like  their  father, 
for  the  law  of  their  God.  Their  revolt  was  brought  about  b}^  the 
intolerable  persecutions  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  one  of  the  vilest 
and  most  degraded  of  the  Syrian  kings.  In  addition  to  all  his 
other  abominations,  he  had  published  Avhat  may  be  called,  in  mod- 
ern phrase,  an  act  of  uniformity.  He  had  commanded  all  the 
people  throughout  his  dominions,  under  the  severest  penalties,  to 
renounce  their  former  religious  rites  and  usages,  and  to  conform, 
in  this  respect,  to  the  religion  of  the  state.  This  decree,  though 
couched  in  general  terms,  was  aimed  particularly  at  the  Jews,  and 
the  king  was  determined  to  execute  it  upon  them.  He  was  re- 
solved, either  to  convert  them  to  his  religion,  or  to  cut  them  all  off. 

It  was  in  opposition  to  this  murderous  decree,  that  Matthias 
and  his  sons  raised  the  standard  of  revolt.  They  retired,  at  first, 
into  the  mountains,  where  they  were  followed  by  many  others. 
Having  collected  around  them  a  little  army,  they  came  out  of  their 
fastnesses,  and  went  round  the  cities  of  Judah,  pulling  down 
heathen  altars,  demolishing  images,  circumcising  the  children,  and 
destroying  persecutors  and  apostates  Mherever  they  could  be 
found ;  and  having  obtained  copies  of  the  law,  they  set  up  the 
worship  of  the  synagogue  as  it  was  before.  Antiochus  was  soon 
apprised  of  what  they  were  doing,  and  sent  a  great  army  into 
Palestine  to  put  down  the  revolt,  and  destroy  its  leaders.  This 
army  Judas  Maccabeus  met  and  conquered,  and  took  much  spoil. 
And  thus  it  was  with  army  after  army  which  was  sent  from 
Antioch  to  disperse  and  vanquish  the  rebellious  Jews.  They  were 
destroyed  by  Judas,  or  driven  back,  and  his  cause  was  strength- 
ened from  day  to  day. 

27 


432  CONVERSATIOXS  OX  THE  BIBLE. 

Having  made  themselves  masters  of  the  country,  Judas  and  his 
followers  resolved  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  purify  the  temple,  and 
consecrate  it  anew  to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  And  when  every- 
thing had  been  set  in  order  there,  they  appointed  a  day  in  which 
the  purified  temple  should  be  dedicated.  This  dedication  occurred 
about  the  time  of  the  winter  solstice.  It  was  observed  ever  after- 
wards in  Judah ;  and  one  of  these  festivals, — perhaps  more  than 
one,  was  honored,  by  our  Savior,  with  his  presence  (John  x.  22). 

S. — What  was  the  character  of  Judas  Maccabeus  ? 

F, — That  he  was  wise  in  council,  and  powerful — all  but  invin- 
cible— in  action,  his  unparalleled  successes  and  achievements 
declare.  But  he  possessed,  we  think,  something  better  than  all 
this.  He  had  a  steady  faith  and  trust  in  God ;  a  zeal  like  that  of 
Phineas,  his  great  progenitor;  a  feeling,  all  the  while,  that  he 
was  doing  the  Lord's  work,  and  that  the  God  of  Israel  was  with 
him.  It  was  this  which  nerved  his  arm  for  the  deadly  conflict, 
and  led  him  on  from  victory  to  victory.  It  will  be  said,  perhaps, 
that  he  was  a  man  of  blood ;  and  so  he  was.  But  then  his  wars 
were,  all  of  them,  strictly  defensive.  He  was  placed  in  circum- 
stances where  he  must  fight,  or  die ;  and  if  he  died,  to  all  human 
appearance,  the  cause  which  he  supported  must  die  with  him. 
His  battles  were  all  of  them  begun  with  prayer,  and  ended  with 
thanksgiving.  The  glory  of  his  achievements,  he  felt  and  acknowl- 
edged, were  due  only  to  the  Lord.  In  the  success  of  his  battles, 
in  the  number  of  his  victories  against  overwhelming  odds,  Judas 
Maccabeus  was  never  exceeded  by  any  warrior.  His  history 
belongs  not  merely  to  the  Jews,  but  like  that  of  Moses,  and 
Joshua,  and  David,  and  Nehemiah,  is  the  property  of  the  whole 
church  of  God. 

S. — How  came  this  family  of  warriors  and  conquerors  to  be  called 
Maccabees  ? 

F. — Upon  their  standard  was  written  this  inspiriting  motto,  Mi 
Cmiolca  Baalim  JeliovaJi — "  Who  is  like  unto  thee  among  the  gods, 
Jehovah?"     (Ex.  xv.  11).     The  first  letters  of  these  four  Hebrew 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  433 

words,  Mem.,  Kaph.,  Beth.,  Yod,  being  conjoined  into  one  word,  make 
3Iaeabi.  Hence,  those  who  fought  under  tliis  sacred  standard  were 
called  3Iaccabees. 

S. — How  long  did  the  Maccabees  govern  tlie  Jews  ? 

F. — For  several  generations.  They  were  often  troubled  and 
sometimes  severely  threatened  by  the  Syrian  kings.  To  avoid  dis- 
turbances of  this  kind,  they  were  induced,  at  length,  to  place  them- 
selves and  their  country  under  the  protection  of  the  Romans.  It 
was  the  Maccabees  who  introduced  the  Roman  power  into  Pales- 
tine ;  and  when  once  introduced,  it  continued  to  increase,  here  as 
elsewhere,  until  it  became  supreme.  Herod  was  made  a  tributary 
king  by  the  Romans,  and  he  reigned  over  Judea  nearly  forty  years, 
even  unto  the  commg  of  Christ. 

S. — Who  was  Herod  ?  and  what  was  his  character  ? 

F. — He  was  an  Idumean  by  birth,  but  had  made  a  profession  of 
the  Jew's  religion.  He  loved  power,  and  was  altogether  unscrupu- 
lous as  to  the  means  of  securing  it.  He  was  suspicious,  jealous, 
fond  of  magnificence  and  display,  blood-thirsty  and  cruel  to  the  last 
degree.  The  murders  which  he  committed  in  his  own  family, — to 
say  nothing  of  the  thousands  wdiom  he  sacrificed  out  of  it, — are  full 
proof  of  this.  And  yet  he  may  be  said,  in  the  common  acceptation 
of  the  terms, — to  have  been  a  lucky  man.  In  repeated  instances, 
he  seemed  to  be  on  the  very  brink  of  ruin  ;  and  then  he  escaped 
and  rose  to  power,  when  he  had  the  least  reason  to  expect  it.  Nor 
was  he  without  some  redeeming  qualities.  He  knew  how  to  show 
kindness  to  his  people,  and  he  often  did  it,  when  he  could  do  it 
with  safety  and  advantage  to  himself. 

His  cruelty  and  selfishness  were  unabated  to  the  last.  This  is 
evident  from  his  murder  of  the  children  at  Bethlehem.  It  is  still 
more  evident  in  the  orders  which  he  issued  respecting  his  own 
death.  Well  knowing  how  much  the  Jews  hated  him,  and  how 
glad  they  would  be  to  be  rid  of  him,  he  summoned  together  some  of 
the  principal  men  of  the  nation,  just  before  his  death,  confined  them 
in  the  hippodrome,  and  gave    strict    orders    to  his  attendants  to 


434  CONVEPiSATIONS  OX  THE  BIBLE. 

massacre  them  all,  so  soon  as  he  had  breathed  his  last, — that  so 
there  might  be  a  mourning  when  he  was  gone.  But  this  cruel 
order  was  not  executed. 

>S'. — Were  there  any  pious  people  in  Israel  in  these  degenerate 
days,  immediately  preceding  the  coming  of  Christ  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly  there  were.  As  in  the  days  of  Ahab,  God  re- 
served to  himself  seven  thousand  men  who  had  not  bowed  the  knee 
to  Baal,  so,  in  these  times,  there  was  undoubtedly  a  remnant. 
Down  in  the  humbler  walks  of  life,  away  from  the  tumult  and  the 
strife  of  kings,  we  may  hope  there  were  many  who  loved  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  served  him  in  sincerity  and  truth.  Here  were  good 
Zechariah  and  Elizabeth,  the  father  and  mother  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Here,  too,  were  Simeon  and  Anna,  who  were  present  in  the  temple 
when  the  infant  Savior  was  brought  there,  "to  do  for  him  after  the 
custom  of  the  law  "  (Luke  ii.  25-88).  Without  doubt,  there  were 
many  others  who  served  God  according  to  the  light  and  privileges 
which  they  enjoyed  ;  and  though  their  names  are  not  known  to  us, 
they  are  securely  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life. 

S. — There  were  sects  among  the  Jews  in  the  time  of  Christ,  which 
must  have  originated  before  his  birth ;  can  you  tell  us  when  and 
where  they  had  their  origin  ? 

F. — The  principal  sects  were  the  Pharisees-  and  the  Sadducees. 
The  Pharisees  were  an  ancient  sect,  dating  back  almost  to  the  time 
of  Alexander  the  Great.  They  were  not  called  Pharisees,  however, 
until  the  time  of  the  Maccabees.  They  are  supposed  to  have 
derived  their  name  from  the  Hebrew  word  Pharos,  which  signifies 
to  separate;  because  they  separated  themselves  from  others,  who 
did  not  receive  their  doctrines,  and  come  up  to  their  standard  of 
life.  Many  of  them  were  in  the  Maccabean  armies  and  fought 
valiantly  for  the  God  of  Israel.  The  Pharisees  were  a  popular  sect, 
who  carried  with  them,  not  only  the  scribes  and  men  learned  in  the 
law,  but  the  great  mass  of  the  common  people.  They  received  as 
of  Divine  authority,  not  only  the  books  of  the  law,  but  all  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  with  them  the  traditions  of  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  435 

elders.  They  held  to  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  and  to  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments.  In  practice,  they  were 
strict  formalists,  who  tithed  their  mint,  and  anise,  and  cummin ; 
talked  much  about  religion,  and  made  extraordinary  pretensions  to 
sanctity. 

The  Sadducees  originated  at  about  the  same  time  with  the 
Pharisees,  and  were  their  opposites  in  most  particulars.  They  took 
their  name  from  Sadoc,  their  founder.  He  taught  that  there  are  no 
future  rewards  and  punishments,  and  no  future  life.  The  Sadducees 
discarded  not  only  a  future  life,  but  all  tradition,  and  all  the  sacred 
books  except  those  of  Moses.  These  men  were  the  liberalists  of 
their  times.  They  were  never  numerous,  but  embraced  many  of 
the  higher  and  .wealthier  families  among  the  Jews. 

*S'. — Was  there  not  a  general  expectation  of  the  coming  of  Christ 
at  the  time  of  his  appearance  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly  there  was,  and  some  of  the  surrounding  nations 
participated  in  the  same  hope.  The  learned  Jews  knew  that  the 
seventy  prophetic  weeks  of  Daniel  were  about  to  close,  and  that  the 
great  Leader  and  Light  of  Israel  would  soon  come. 

God  had  long  been  preparing  the  way  for  the  coming  of  Christ, 
and  he  made  his  appearance  in  the  best,  the  appointed  time.  The 
world  was  now  ready  for  him,  and  were  expecting  him.  Other 
experiments  had  been  tried  for  the  recovery  of  lost  men,  but  had 
failed.  In  all  that  sages  had  taught,  and  poets  sung,  and  priests 
disclosed,  and  oracles  muttered,  there  was  no  relief.  Foreign 
religions  had  been  introduced,  magicians  and  astrologers  had  been 
multiplied ;  still  the  darkness  and  misery  increased.  It  was  just  in 
this  crisis  of  the  world's  history,  when  all  experiments  had  been 
tried  and  failed,  and  hope  was  giving  place  to  black  despair,  that 
the  Light  of  the  world  commenced  his  shining ;  the  "  Desire  of  all 
nations  "  came. 


THIED    BOOK. 

FROM  THE  COMING  OF  CHRIST  TO  THE  END. 


CONVERSATION  I. 

LIFE  OF  CHKIST.— Year  of  birth  uncertain.— Singular  tradition  of  the  Jews.— The 
seven  thousand  years. — The  wise  men. — The  star  in  the  east. — What  it  was. — Jesus 
among  the  doctors. — John  the  Baptist. — Phice  where  Christ  was  baptized. — First  mira- 
cle.— The  sermon  on  the  Mount. — John  beheaded  to  please  the  daughter  of  Herod's 
wife. 

Son. — Do  we  know  the  time  of  our  Savior's  birth  ? 

Father. — We  do  not  know  the  precise  year, — much  less  the  day 
in  the  year.  According  to  the  common  reckoning, — which  was  fixed 
by  Dionysius  Exiguus  and  one  of  the  Popes  in  the  sixth  century, — 
he  was  born  in  tlie  year  of  the  world  4004  ;  but  his  birth  was  several 
years  earlier  than  this.  He  was  certainly  born  before  the  death  of 
Herod ;  and  Herod  died  in  the  year  of  the  world,  4001.  Also 
Jesus  was  about  thirty  years  of  age,  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the 
reign  of  Tiberius  Csesar  (Luke  iii.  1)  ;  and  this  would  fix  his  birth 
in  the  four  thousandth  year  of  the  world.  And  the  same  conclu- 
sion is  reached  by  another  fact  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures :  The 
enrollment  or  taxing,  spoken  of  by  Luke  (Chap.  ii.  1-5),  was  made 
when  Cyrenius  was  first  governor  of  Syria, — at  which  time  our 
Savior  was  born ;  but  this  again  was  the  four  thousandth  3^ear  of 
the  world.  The  probability  therefore  is,  that  our  Savior  was  born 
in  the  year  of  the  world  4000  ;  and  this  agrees  with  an  old  tradi- 
tion of  the  JcAvs,  that  the  Avorld  was  to  stand  seven  thousand 
years  ;  two  thousand  of  which  were  to  be  before  the  law ;  two  thou- 
sand under  the  law,  and  two  thousand  under  the  Messiah, — after 
which  was  to  follow  the  Sabbatical  millennium,  or  the  thousand 
years  of  rest.  Resjjecting  the  month  and  day  of  our  Savior's 
birth,  we  are  left  wholly  to  conjecture.     The  disagreement  of  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  437 

early  fathers  shows  that  the  day  was  not  celebrated  in  the  Apos- 
tolic age. 

S. — Wliat  religious  rites  were  performed  for  our  Savior  soon 
after  his  birth  ? 

F. — On  the  eighth  day  after  his  birth,  our  Savior  was  circum- 
cised and  received  his  name — the  same  that  had  before  been  given 
him  by  the  angel.  Thirty-three  days  subsequent  to  this,  when  his 
mother's  purification  was  accomplished  according  to  the  law  (Lev. 
xii.  3),  he  was  taken  b}^  his  parents  to  Jerusalem,  and  presented  in 
the  temple  before  tlie  Lord.  A  sacrifice  was  offered  for  him — •'  a 
pair  of  turtle-doves,  or  two  young  pigeons  " — which  was  all  that 
the  straitened  circumstances  of  his  parents  enabled  them  to  bring. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  good  old  Simeon  took  him  into  his  arms 
and  blessed  God  on  his  account.  Pious  Anna  was  also  present  to 
give  thanks  because  of  him,  and  to  speak  of  him  to  all  those  who 
dwelt  at  Jerusalem. 

S. — Wliere  was  Jesus  and  his  parents,  when  visited  by  the  wise 
men  of  the  East? 

F. — They  were  at  Bethlehem,  to  which  place  they  had  returned 
after  their  visit  to  Jerusalem.  These  wise  men  were  probably 
magicians  from  northern  Arabia,  or  from  Persia.  The  star  which 
guided  them  was  a  meteor  providentially,  perhaps  miraculously, 
prepared  and  sent.  Their  visit  to  the  holy  family  was  opportune 
every  way.  It  was  not  only  an  honor  to  the  Savior,  and  a  testi- 
monjr  to  his  Messiahship,  but  it  furnished  the  means  of  his  sub- 
sistence, at  least  for  a  time.  "Without  the  rich  presents  which  they 
brought,  his  parents  might  not  have  been  able  to  carrj^  him  into 
Egypt,  and  support  him  there,  and  thus  elude  the  blood-tliirsty 
Herod. 

aS'. — How  long  did  the  holy  family  remain  in  Egypt  ? 

F. — We  are  not  informed  ;  but  certainly  until  they  heard  of 
the  death  of  Herod,  which  occurred,  probably,  the  following  year. 
When  admonished  to  return  into  the  land  of  Israel,  their  first 
thought  was  to  go  and  reside  at  Bethlehem.     But  when  they  found 


438  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

that  Archelaus,  who  inherited  all  the  cruelty  of  his  father  Herod, 
reigned  in  Judea,  they  were  afraid  to  go  there,  and  concluded  to 
return  to  their  old  home  at  Nazareth.  And  here  they  dwelt,  proba- 
bly, as  long  as  Joseph  lived, — until  near  the  commencement  of  our 
Savior's  public  ministry. 

S. — When  do  we  next  hear  of  Jesus  ? 

F. — When  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem,  with  his  parents,  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years.  The  males  in  Israel  were  required  to  go  up  to 
Jerusalem,  to  the  great  festivals,  three  times  in  a  year.  The  more 
devout  women,  though  exempt  by  law  from  regular  attendance, 
usiially  accompanied  their  husbands  on  these  occasions.  Doubtless 
the  parents  of  Jesus  had  been  often  to  Jerusalem,  during  his 
younger  years;  but  at  the  age  of  twelve  they  took  him  with 
them  ;  for  such  was  the  custom  of  the  feast.  In  the  Jewish  church, 
children  were  not  allowed  to  go  to  the  Passover  earlier  than  this. 
But  at  the  age  of  twelve,  they  were  brought  to  the  temple,  where 
a  sacrifice  was  offered,  and  some  other  initiatory  rites  were  per- 
formed ;  after  which  they  were  allowed  to  eat  of  the  Passover, 
and  to  participate  in  the  other  festivals  of  the  church. 

S. — What  took  place  on  the  journey  back  from  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — When  the  feast  was  ended,  and  Joseph  and  Mary  com- 
menced their  journey  homeward,  Jesus  was  not  with  them.  He 
tarried  behind  at  Jerusalem.  And  when  they  returned  for  him, 
to  their  astonishment  they  found  him  among  the  doctors  in  the 
temple,  both  hearing  them,  and  asking  them  questions. 

From  Jerusalem,  Jesus  returned  with  his  parents  to  Nazareth, 
and  was  subject  unto  them,  and  labored  with  them  to  procure  a 
subsistence.  He  was  not  only  the  son  of  a  carpenter,  but  in  one 
instance  is  called  a  carpenter  (Mark  vi.  3)  ;  which  implies  that  he 
labored  with  his  reputed  father. 

>S'. — How  much  do  we  know  of  the  character  and  conduct  of 
Jesus,  for  the  next  eighteen  years  ? 

F. — Very  little.  Without  doubt,  his  life  was  blameless,  dutiful, 
holy,  perfect.     Luke  tells  us  that  "he  was  strong  in  spirit,  filled 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE,  439 

with  wisdom,  and  that  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him."  He 
increased,  not  only  in  stature,  but  in  wisdom,  and  in  favor  with 
God  and  with  men. 

S. — Where  was  John,  the  forerunner  of  Christ,  at  this  time  ? 

F. — He  was  leading  a  solitary,  contemplative  life  in  the  deserts 
of  Judea.  His  parents,  who  were  old  at  his  birth,  were  probably 
dead.  When  John  had  arrived  at  the  age  of  thirty — the  time  for 
entering  upon  the  more  public  services  of  religion — he  commenced 
preaching  and  baptizing,  first  in  the  hill  country  of  Judea,  but 
afterwards  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Jordan.  His  preaching  pro- 
duced a  great  sensation,  and  multitudes  of  all  ages  and  classes 
flocked  to  hear  him,  and  to  receive  his  baptism.  Among  those 
who  came,  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  He  had  now  arrived  at  the  age 
of  thirty,  being  six  months  younger  than  John.  He  was  about  to 
enter  upon  his  public  labors  ;  and  though  he  had  no  need  of  bap- 
tism in  token  of  repentance,  or  of  spiritual  purification,  yet,  as 
Moses  had  enjoined  a  lustration  for  the  priests  before  entering 
upon  their  public  duties,  he  chose  to  follow  them  in  this,  and  thus 
"fulfill  all  righteousness  "  (Matt. iii.  15). 

S. — Had  Jesus  and  John  been  previously  acquainted  ? 

F. — It  seems  they  had  not.  Though  relatives  on  their  mothers' 
side,  they  had  rarely,  if  ever,  met.  John  says  of  Jesus  expressly  : 
"  I  knew  him  not."  But  though  John  had  no  previous  acquaint- 
ance with  Jesus,  his  true  character  was  soon  revealed.  When 
John  saw  the  heavens  open  to  him  at  his  baptism,  and  saw  the 
Spirit  descending  on  him  like  a  dove,  and  heard  that  memorable 
voice  :  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,"  he 
could  not  doubt.  He  knew  that  he  had  seen  and  baptized  the 
promised  Messiah — the  Lamb  of  God. 

S. — Where  did  the  baptism  of  our  Lord  occur  ? 

F. — At  Bethabara,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Jordan.  It  was  a 
common  fording-place,  near  Jericho,  about  tv/enty  miles  east  of 
Jerusalem, — near  the  spot  where  the  Israelites  passed  over  the 
Jordan,  when  they  entered  Canaan. 


440  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Where  did  our  Savior  go,  immediately  after  liis  baptism  ? 

F. — He  retired  into  the  desert,  west  of  the  Jordan,  where  he 
remained,  fasting,  praying,  communing  with  God  and  his  own 
spirit,  forty  days.     It  was  here  that  he  was  tempted  of  the  devil. 

S. — On  leaving  the  desert,  did  Jesus  return  to  John  ? 

F. — He  did  ;  at  which  time  John  again  bore  testimony,  in  the 
most  solemn  terms,  to  his  Messiahship.  He  here  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  several  persons,  who  were  afterwards  his  Apostles ; 
such  as  Andrew  and  Peter,  Philip  and  Nathaniel,  and  the  two 
sons  of  Zebedee. 

*S'. — Where  did  Jesus  now  go  ? 

F. — He  went  into  Galilee  to  meet  his  mother.  His  reputed 
father,  it  is  likely,  was  no  longer  living.  In  company  with  his 
mother,  he  attended  a  wedding  at  Cana  in  Galilee,  Avhere  he 
turned  water  into  wine.  This  is  spoken  of  as  the  first  of  his  mir- 
acles. After  this,  he  went  to  Capernaum,'  and  soon  went  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  the  Passover. 

S. — How  long  was  our  Savior's  public  ministry,  and  how  many 
Passovers  did  it  include  ? 

F. — It  included  four  Passovers,  and  continued  between  three 
and  four  years.  The  one  at  which  we  have  arrived  was  the  first ; 
besides  this,  he  attended  the  second  and  the  fourth,  but  not  the 
third. 

S. — What  did  our  Savior  do  at  Jerusalem  at  this  first  Passover  ? 

F. — He  undertook  and  accomplished  the  difficult  work  of  purg- 
ing the  temple.  He  did  the  same  again,  as  we  shall  see,  near  the 
close  of  his  public  ministry.  He  drove  out  those  from  the  courts 
of  the  temple  who  sold  oxen,  sheep,  and  doves  for  sacrifice.  He 
poured  out  the  changers'  money,  overthrew  their  tables,  and  told 
them  not  to  make  his  Father's  house  a  house  of  merchandise. 

S. — Who  visited  our  Savior,  at  this  time,  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
quiry and  conversation  ? 

F. — Nicodemus,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim,  and  a  ruler  of  the 
Jews.     He  came  to  Jesus  by  night  and  said  unto  him,  "  We  know 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  441 

that  thou  art  a  teacher  sent  from  God ;  for  no  man  can  do  these 
miracles  that  thou  doest,  except  God  be  with  him."  Our  Savior 
seized  the  opportunity  to  converse  with  Nicodemus,  and  delivered 
to  him  a  most  important  discourse.  Perhaps  he  never  gave  utter- 
ance to  so  much  solemn  gospel  truth,  in  so  few  words,  as  on  this 
occasion.  Nor  were  his  instructions  lost  upon  the  mind  of  the 
ruler.  We  find  Nicodemus  afterwards  interposing  his  good  offices 
in  favor  of  Jesus ;  and  when  he  had  expired  on  the  cross,  Nico- 
demus assisted  in  taking  down  the  body,  and  brought  a  hundred 
pounds  weight  of  myrrh  and  aloes  for  the  purpose  of  embalming  it. 

*S'. — Did  our  Savior  remain  long  in  Jerusalem  after  the  Passover? 

F. — He  continued  in  the  towns  and  villages  of  Judea  for  a  time, 
where  he  preached  and  his  disciples  baptized  ;  these  baptisms  seem 
to  have  been  of  the  same  nature  as  those  of  John — not  a  proper 
Christian  ordinance,  but  an  impressive  rite,  designed  to  prepare  the 
way  for  the  full  introduction  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom. 

S. — Where  was  John  at  this  time  ? 

F. — He  had  removed  from  Bethabara,  and  was  baptizing  at  Enon, 
a  place  on  the  west  side  of  the  Jordan,  about  twenty  miles  south 
of  the  sea  of  Galilee.  He  here  bore  a  new  testimony  to  the  Mes- 
siahship  of  Jesus,  and  exhorted  his  followers  to  put  their  trust  in 
him  :  "  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease.  He  that  believeth 
on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son 
shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abide th  on  him."  John 
was  now  in  the  dominions  of  Herod  Antipas,  tetrarch  of  Persia 
and  Galilee.  Herod,  for  a  time,  was  deeply  interested  in  him, 
went  often  to  hear  him,  and  was  led  to  attempt  some  reformation  of 
life.  But  when  John  had  reproved  him  for  his  adultery  and  incest 
in  cohabiting  with  his  brother's  wife,  the  king's  pride  was  wounded, 
his  anger  was  kindled,  and  he  shut  up  the  reformer  in  prison ;  and 
here  John  remained,  in  the  dungeons  of  Machterus  unto  the  day  of 
his  death. 

S. — On  leaving  Judea,  where  did  our  Savior  go  ? 

F. — When    Jesus   heard    of  the  imprisonment  of  John,  he   left 


442  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Judea  and  retired  into  Galilee.  On  his  way,  he  passed  through 
Samaria,  and  had  that  interesting  conversation  with  the  Samaritan 
woman,  recorded  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  John.  While  in  Galilee, 
our  Savior  visited  Nazareth,  where  he  had  been  brought  up,  and 
where  he  had  spent  the  greater  portion  of  his  life.  He  went  into 
the  synagogue,  as  his  custom  was,  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  there 
read  and  expounded  the  Scriptures.  At  first,  the  people  heard  him 
with  admiration,  but  as  he  proceeded  to  apply  the  truth  more  par- 
ticularly to  their  case,  their  admiration  was  turned  into  wrath,  and 
they  madly  attempted  to  take  his  life. 

S. — How  was  our  Savior  occupied,  during  this  visit  to  Galilee? 

F. — He  preached  in  their  synagogues,  healed  the  sick,  procured 
the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes,  and  summoned  Andrew  and  Peter, 
James  and  John,  and  Matthew  the  publican  to  leave  their  custom- 
ary employments,  and  become  his  ministers.  The  fame  of  him  was 
at  this  time  so  great,  that  multitudes  continually  thronged  him, 
and  sometimes  hindered  him  in  his  work.  To  avoid  them,  he  left 
Capernaum  and  went  into  the  country,  preaching  in  the  synagogues 
throughout  all  Galilee.  It  was  during  this  tour,  that  he  delivered 
that  most  remarkable  of  all  Divine  or  human  productions — the  Ser- 
mo7i  on  the  3Io%mt.  In  labors  such  as  have  been  described, — teach- 
ing, preaching,  performing  miracles,  going  about  doing  good, — our 
Savior  had  filled  up  the  year.  The  time  had  come  for  another 
Passover,  when  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  (John  v.  1). 

S. — Has  there  not  been  some  dispute  on  the  question,  whether 
the  feast  spoken  of  by  John  was  the  Passover  ? 

F. — There  has ;  and  this  is  really  a  very  important  question. 
For  on  the  decision  of  it  depends,  whether  our  Savior's  public  min- 
istry included  four  Passovers,  or  only  two ;  whether  it  continued 
three  years  and  a  half,  or  only  one  and  a  half.  I  agree  with  the 
most  approved  commentators,  that  this  feast  was  the  Passover,  and 
that  his  ministry  included  four  Passovers.  I  find  it  impossible  to 
harmonize  all  the  events  of  his  public  life,  and  crowd  them  into  the 
short  space  of  a  year  and  a  half. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  443 

*S'. — Our  Savior,  then,  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast ;  what 
miracle  was  performed  by  him  soon  after  he  arrived  there  ? 

F. — The  healing  of  the  poor  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda.  This 
man  had  been  bowed  down  with  infirmity  thirty-eight  years. 
Jesus  had  compassion  on  him  in  his  helpless  condition,  and  said : 
"  Rise,  take  up  thy  bed  and  walk,"  and  immediately  he  was  made 
whole,  took  up  his  bed,  and  went  his  way.  As  it  was  the  Sab- 
bath when  this  was  done,  the  Jews  were  greatly  excited,  and 
charged  both  the  healed  man  and  Jesus  with  violating  the  Sab- 
bath. This  led  to  a  long  discourse  from  our  Savior,  in  which  he 
asserts  his  Divine  authority,  and  vindicates  himself  from  the 
charge  which  had  been  urged  against  him. 

/S'.-^How  long  did  our  Savior  remain  at  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — But  a  short  time.  On  his  return  towards  Galilee,  he  had 
repeated  discussions  with  the  Jews,  who  continued  to  accuse  him 
of  violating  the  Sabbath.  Unable  to  meet  him  in  argument,  they 
took  counsel  together  to  destroy  his  life.  But  he  withdrew  him- 
self from  them,  and  we  soon  find  him,  where  he  had  so  often  been, 
by  the  sea  of  Galilee. 

S. — This  was  a  long  visit  to  Galilee.  How  was  our  Savior 
occupied  ? 

F. — In  Galilee  and  parts  adjacent,  sometimes  on  one  side  of  the 
sea,  and  sometimes  on  the  other,  and  sometimes  sailing  and  even 
walking  upon  its  surface,  our  Savior  filled  up  the  next  year  of  his 
public  ministry.  It  was  a  busy  and  most  important  year.  He  was 
everywhere  surrounded  by  wondering  multitudes,  whom  he  care- 
fully instructed,  whom  he  miraculously  fed,  and  whose  sick  he 
healed.  He  raised  the  dead  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain ;  cast  out 
many  devils ;  uttered  some  of  his  most  interesting  parables,  as 
that  of  the  sower,  and  of  the  tares  in  the  field ;  and  performed 
other  preaching  tours  through  the  cities  and  villages  of  Galilee. 
It  was  during  this  year  that  he  appointed  his  twelve  Apostles, 
and  sent  them  forth  with  the  glad  news  of  salvation  to  the  lost 
sheei3  of  the  house  of  Israel.     When  our  Savior  had  come  down 


444  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

from  the  mountain, — where  he  had  spent  the  whole  previous  night 
in  prayer,  and  where  he  had  appointed  his  twelve  Apostles, — he 
found  a  vast  multitude  waiting  for  him,  to  whom  he  repeated, 
with  some  variations,  a  considerable  part  of  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount. 

S. — Do  not  some  interpreters  make  this  the  identical  Sermon  on 
the  3fount  ?  (Luke  vi.  20-40.) 

F. — They  do ;  but  I  cannot  be  of  this  opinion  ;  and  for  the 
following  reasons  :  1.  The  sermon  in  Matthew  was  delivered  on 
a  mountain,  but  this  on  a  plain.  2.  The  sermon  in  Matthew  was 
delivered  the  year  previous  to  the  calling  and  commissioning  of 
the  Apostles,  but  this  in  Luke  immediately  after  their  call.  3. 
The  two  discourses,  though  containing  many  similar  passages,  are 
very  unlike.  The  one  in  Matthew  is  four  times  as  long  as  that  in 
Luke,  and  yet  the  one  in  Luke  has  several  expressions  which  do 
not  occur  in  Matthew.  The  structure  of  the  sentences,  and  the 
connections  in  which  they  stand,  are  also  different.  In  short,  the 
discourse  in  Lnke  is  just  what  it  purports  to  be, — a  repetition  in 
part,  with  occasional  omissions  and  alterations,  of  the  sermon  in 
Matthew.  And  those  who  know  the  excellence  of  this  sermon, 
will  not  wonder  or  regret  that  our  Savior  thought  proi^er  to 
repeat  some  parts  of  it.  When  ministers  preach  as  well  as  this, 
we  will  consent  that  they  repeat  their  sermon-s  as  often  as  they 
please. 

jS. — To  what  did  the  Pharisees  ascribe  some  of  the  miracles 
which  Christ  now  performed  ? 

F. — To  diabolical  influence.  "  He  casteth  out  devils  by  Beelze- 
bub, the  prince  of  the  devils."  Our  Lord  refuted  the  objection, 
and  solemnly  warned  them  against  such  language.  It  constituted 
the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost — a  sin  for  which  there  was  no 
forgiveness. 

iS. — What  message  did  our  Savior  receive  at  this  time  from 
John  the  Baptist,  who  was  still  in  prison  ? 

F, — John  sent  two  of  his  disciples  to  Jesus,  saying,  "  Art  thou 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  U5 

he  tliat  should  come,  or  look  we  for  {mother?"  Without  directly 
answering  the  question,  our  Savior  said  to  those  who  came,  "  Go 
and  tell  John  what  things  ye  have  seen  and  heard:  The  blind 
receive  their  sight,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  the  deaf 
hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and  to  the  poor  the  gospel  is 
preached.  And  blessed  is  he  that  shall  not  be  offended,"  stumbled, 
"  in  me." 

S. — What  befell  John  shortly  after  this  ? 

F. — He  had  been  for  months  in  close  confinement,  but  his  end 
was  now  come.  To  gratify  his  adulterous  wife  and  her  wicked 
daughter,  Herod  sent  and  beheaded  him  in  prison.  But  the  con- 
science of  the  tyrant  seems  not  to  have  been  satisfied  ;  for  when 
he  heard  of  the  miracles  of  Jesus,  he  was  alarmed  under  the  appre- 
hension that  John  was  risen  from  the  dead,  and  might  stand  up  to 
avenge  his  injuries  and  wrongs. 


CONVERSATION  II. 

LIFE  OF  CHRIST  CONTINUED.— Miracles  of  Jesus.— His  journeys.— His  approach- 
ing end. — His  transfiguration. — Paying  tribute. — Seventy  preachers  sent  out. — Raising 
the  dead. — Endeavors  to  entrap  the  Savior. — The  rich  man  and  Lazarus. — Incidents 
in  the  ministry  of  Jesus. 

Son. — We  have  now  arrived  at  another  Passover — the  third 
which  occurred  during  our  Savior's  ministry.  Why  did  not  Jesus 
go  up  to  Jerusalem  to  celebrate  it  ? 

Father. — The  reason  is  assigned  by  John.  "  He  would  not  walk 
in  Jewry,  because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  him  "  (John  vii.  1). 
Instead  of  going  southward  to  Jerusalem,  he  took  the  opportunity 
to  travel  in  the  north  country,  and  proceeded  even  to  the  borders 
of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  And  here  he  found  a  Syro-Phoenician  woman 
whose  daughter  was  possessed  with  a  devil ;  and  having  conversed 
with  the  afflicted  mother,  and  sufficiently  tried  and  tested  her 
faith,  he  healed  her  daughter.  This  is  the  only  miracle,  of  which 
we  have  any  knowledge,  which  our  Savior  performed  upon  a 
Gentile. 

S. — On  his  return  from  Syria  to  Galilee,  how  was  our  Lord 
occupied  ? 

F. — He  was  surrounded,  as  usual,  by  a  great  multitude,  whom  he 
miraculously  fed,  a  second  time,  with  a  few  loaves  and  fishes.  He 
tarried  in  Galilee  but  a  short  time,  when  he  took  a  journey  to 
Csesarea  Philippi,  in  the  north-easterly  part  of  Palestine.  He  had 
here  a  season  of  retirement  with  his  disciples.  He  prayed  with 
them,  and  entered  into  conversation  with  them  saying :  "  Whom 
do  men  say  that  I  am  ?  "  They  answered  and  said,  "  Some  say  that 
you  are  John  the  Baptist ;  some  that  you  are  Elias  ;  and  some  that 
you  are  Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  old  prophets  risen  from  the  dead." 
"  But  whom,"  said  Jesus,  "  do  ye  say  that  I  am  ?  "  Peter  answered, 
"  Thou  art  the  Christy  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  For  this  noble 
confession,  our  Savior  blessed  Peter   and  said,  "  Thou  art  Peter, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  447 

and  on  tins  rock  " — this  foundation  truth  which  you  have  uttered 
— "  I  will  build  my  church  ;  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it."  Our  Savior  next  proceeded  to  instruct  his  disciples  in 
regard  to  his  approaching  sufferings  and  death ;  when  Peter  dis- 
covered how  little  he  understood,  as  yet,  the  nature  of  the  gospel- 
He  took  his  master  aside  and  began  to  rebuke  him,  sa3-ing,  "  Be  it 
far  from  thee.  Lord,  This  suffering  and  death  shall  not  be  unto 
thee."  Our  Savior  now  rebuked  Peter  with  as  much  earnestness 
as  before  he  had  commended  him  :  "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan  ; 
thou  art  an  offense  unto  me ;  thou  relisheth  not  the  things  that  be 
of  God,  but  such  as  be  of  men." 

S. — Where  did  our  Savior's  transfiguration  take  place  ? 

F. — It  was  during  this  retirement  in  the  northern  part  of  Galilee. 
He  took  Peter  and  James  and  John,  and  went  up  into  a  mountain 
with  them  for  prayer ;  and  as  he  prayed,  he  was  transfigured  before 
them.  The  form  of  his  countenance  and  of  his  whole  appearance 
was  suddenly  and  gloriously  changed;  and  there  appeared  unto 
them  Moses  and  Elias,  talking  with  Jesus,  in  regard  to  his  approach- 
ing sufferings  and  death.  They  heard  also  a  voice  from  heaven 
saying,  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased  ;  hear 
ye  him."  This  whole  scene  was  calculated,  and,  without  doubt,  de- 
signed to  impress  upon  the  disciples  that  great  cardinal  truth  which 
they  were  so  slow  to  learn,  that  Christ  must  suffer  and  die  for 
sinners. 

S. — From  northern  Galilee,  our  Savior  and  his  disciples  returned 
to  Capernaum  :  What  took  place  there  ? 

F. — It  was  here  that  the  collectors  of  tribute  came  to  Peter  and 
said,  "  Doth  not  your  Master  pay  tribute  ?  "  Peter  answered  that 
he  did.  When  our  Savior  met  Peter,  he  showed  him  that  the  col- 
lectors had  no  right  to  exact  tribute  of  him.  "  Nevertheless,"  said 
he,  "  that  we  may  not  offend  them,  go  to  the  sea,  and  cast  in  thy 
hook  ;  and  in  the  mouth  of  the  fish  that  first  cometh  up,  thou  shalt 
find  a  piece  of  money,"  a  thaler  ;  "  that  take  and  pay  your  tribute 
and  mine." 

28 


448  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

jS. — When  were  the  seventy  preachers  sent  out  ? 

F. — It  was  during  this  visit  to  Capernaum.  Intending  soon  to 
leave  Galilee,  our  Lord  appointed  other  seventy,  besides  the  twelve 
apostles,  and  sent  them  forth,  two  and  two,  into  all  the  cities  and 
villages  where  he  expected  soon  to  come.  He  gave  them  instruc- 
tions very  similar  to  those  which  he  had  given  to  the  twelve ;  and 
concluded  by  saying,  "  He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  me ;  and  he 
that  despiseth  you,  despiseth  me,  and  him  that  sent  me."  It  is  not 
likely,  however,  that  these  seventy,  like  the  apostles,  were  intended 
to  be  a  permanent  body  of  missionaries.  They  w^ere  appointed  for 
a  particular  purpose,  which  they  soon  accomplished,  and  we  hear  no 
more  of  them  in  the  Scriptures. 

*S'. — The  feast  of  tabernacles  was  now  at  hand :  Did  our  Savior 
attend  it  ? 

F. — He  did.  He  repaired  to  Jerusalem  rather  privately ;  but 
as  soon  as  he  arrived,  he  went  boldly  into  the  temple  and  taught. 
He  soon  came  in  conflict  with  the  prejudices  and  the  hostility  of 
the  Jews.  They  charged  him  with  having  a  devil ;  and  he  charged 
them  with  plotting  against  his  life.  The  Pharisees  and  chief  priests 
sent  officers  to  take  him ;  but  they  returned  without  him,  saying, 
"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man." 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  Jews  brought  before  him  an  adulter- 
ous woman  for  judgment,  thinking  that,  whether  he  cleared  or  con- 
demned her,  they  should  find  an  accusation  against  him.  But  he 
managed  to  convict  them  rather  than  the  woman,  and  the}  slunk 
away  confounded  from  his  presence  (John  viii.  11). 

It  was  at  this  time,  also,  that  our  Lord  made  that  visit  to  his 
friends  at  Bethany,  of  which  Ave  have  an  account  in  the  tenth  chap- 
ter of  Luke.  Martha  "  was  cumbered  about  much  serving  ;  "  but 
"  Mary  sat  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  to  hear  his  words."  For  this,  jNIartha 
was  slightly  reproved,  but  Mary  was  commended.  "  JNIary  hath 
chosen  that  good  part  which  shall  not  be  taken  from  her." 

Our  Savior  continued  to  teach  in  the  temple,  holding  up  the  light 
of  truth,  and  having  frequent  altercation  with  those  that  rejected 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  449 

it,  till  the  Jews  became  so  much  exasi)erated,  that  they  took  np 
stones  to  stone  him.  But  he  went  out  of  the  temple,  and  escaped 
their  liands. 

S. — Our  Savior  was  now  to  make  his  last  visit  to  Galilee :  What 
took  place  on  the  way  ? 

F. — He  had  much  interesting  conversation  with  his  disciples. 
He  instructed  and  encouraged  them  in  the  duty  of  prayer,  and 
gave  them  an  abbreviated  form  of  the  Lord's  prayer  (Luke  xi.  3). 
He  cautioned  them  against  hypocrisy,  and  strengthened  them  against 
the  fear  of  man  by  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  exhorted 
them  to  continual  watchfulness  in  expectation  of  his  coming,  and 
of  the  account  the}'  must  render,  at  the  last,  for  all  their  privileges. 

At  this  time,  one  came  to  Christ,  and  told  him  of  the  slaughter 
of  the  Galileans  at  Jerusalem,  whose  blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with 
their  sacrifices.  Perhaps  this  was  said  in  hope  that  he  would 
denounce  either  the  cruelty  of  Pilate,  or  the  weakness  of  the  Gali- 
leans, in  either  of  which  cases  they  might  bring  him  into  trouble. 
But  he  made  the  fact  which  had  been  reported  to  him  the  occasion 
of  a  most  solemn  call  to  repentance.  "  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall 
all  likewise  perish." 

*S'. — On  his  arrival  in  Galilee,  what  miracle  of  healing  was  per- 
formed. 

F. — As  he  was  teaching  in  one  of  the  synagogues  on  the  Sabbath 
day,  he  saw  there  a  poor  woman  who  had  been  bowed  down  with  an 
infirmity  eighteen  years,  and  could  not  lift  up  herself;  and  Jesus 
said  unto  her,  "Woman,  thou  art  loosed  from  thine  infirmity."  And 
immediately  she  rose  up  and  glorified  God.  But  the  ruler  of  the 
synagogue  was  filled  with  indignation,  and  said,  "■  There  are  six 
days  in  wdiich  men  ought  to  work ;  in  them,  therefore,  come  and  be 
healed,  and  not  on  the  Sabbath  da5^"  To  him  our  Savior  replied 
with  unwonted  severity,  "  Thou  hypocrite,  doth  not  each  of  you, 
on  the  Sabbath  day,  loose  his  ox  or  his  ass  from  the  stall,  and  lead 
him  away  to  watering?  And  ought  not  this  woman,  being  a  daugh- 
ter of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound  these  eighteen  years,  to  be 


450  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

loosened  from  her  bond  on  the  Sabbath  day  ?  "  And  all  his  adver- 
saries were  ashamed. 

During  this  visit  to  Galilee,  our  Savior  was  invited,  by  one  of 
the  chief  Pharisees,  to  dine  with  him.  And  while  they  sat  at  meat, 
one  of  the  company  said,  "  Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread  in  the 
kingdom  of  God."  This  led  our  Lord  to  utter  the  parable  of  the 
great  supper  from  which  those  who  were  first  bidden  excused 
themselves,  but  which  was  furnished  with  guests  from  the  high- 
ways and  hedges, — a  parable  which  the  Pharisees  themselves  must 
have  interpreted  as  against  themselves. 

8. — What  led  to  the  utterance  of  several  other  important  para- 
bles at  this  time  ? 

F. — As  our  Lord  came  out  of  the  Pharisees'  house,  he  Avas 
quickly  surrounded  by  a  class  of  persons  who  could  not  have  been 
admitted  there — publicans  and  such  as  were  accounted  great  sin- 
ners. At  this,  the  Pharisees  took  offense ;  and  to  justify  himself 
our  Savior  uttered  the  parables  of  the  lost  sheep,  the  lost  piece  of 
money,  and  of  the  prodigal  son  (Luke  15).  He  uttered  also  the 
parable  of  the  unjust  steward,  and  took  occasion  from  it  to  reprove 
the  Pharisees  for  their  covetousness  and  hypocrisy.  Still  further  to 
show  the  vanity  of  earthly  riches  in  comparison  with  true  piety,  he 
narrated  the  story  of  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus.* 

S. — Our  Savior  had  now  finished  his  work  in  Galilee,  and  was 
about  to  go  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of  dedication  :  What  events 
of  interest  took  place  on  the  way  ? 

F. — Desiring  to  go  through  Samaria,  he  sent  messengers  forward 
to  prepare  the  way  for  him  ;  but  the  Samaritans,  finding  that 
he  was  going  to  Jerusalem,  refused  to  receive  him.  Whereupon 
the  disciples  James  and  John  were  highly  indignant,  and  requested 
that  they  might  call  down  fire  from  heaven  to  consume  the  Samari- 


*This  is  frequently  but  improperly  called  a  parable.  It  is  not  a  parable,  has  none  of 
the  requisites  of  a  parable,  and  is  never  called  one  in  Scriptures.  It  is  a  simple  narra- 
tive of  occurrences,  partly  in  this  world,  and  partly  in  the  next.  Our  Savior  was  as  com 
peteut  to  speak  of  occurrences  in  one  world,  as  in  the  other. 


CONVEB.SATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  451 

tans,  as  Elijah  did.  But  our  Savior  rebuked  them,  saying  "Ye 
know  not  wliat  spirit  ye  are  of." 

As  they  went  on  their  way,  they  came  to  a  village  inhabited  by 
lepers — who  were  obliged  to  live  by  themselves ;  and  no  less  than 
ten  lepers  came  out  to  meet  him,  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Jesus, 
thou  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  us."  And  Jesus  said,  "  Go 
show  yourselves  to  the  priests ; "  and  as  they  went,  they  were  all 
cleansed.  And  one  of  them,  a  Samaritan,  when  he  saw  that  he  was 
cleansed,  turned  back,  and  glorified  the  God  of  Israel. 

S. — Arrived  at  Jerusalem,  what  miracle  was  performed  ? 

F. — As  he  was  walking  the  street,  he  met  a  man  who  had 
been  blind  from  his  birth.  And  he  spat  on  the  ground,  made  soft 
clay  with  the  spittle,  rubbed  it  on  his  eyes,  and  told  him  to  go  and 
wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam  ;  and  when  he  had  washed,  he  came  back 
restored.  This  miracle  excited  more  attention  among  the  Jews  than 
any  which  Jesus  had  performed.  They  resolved  to  investigate  the 
matter  to  the  bottom,  hoping  to  find  some  clue  to  the  secret  of 
these  mighty  works  ;  but  they  were  obliged  to  give  it  up,  and  could 
only  say  to  the  restored  man,  "Give  God  the  glory"  (John  ix). 

aS'. — Why  did  Jesus  leave  Jerusalem  ?     And  where  did  he  go  ? 

F. — He  left  the  city,  because  his  life  was  in  danger  there.  The 
place  to  which  he  retired  was  Bethabara,  beyond  Jordan,  where 
he  had  been  baptized  by  John.  And  here  great  multitudes  resorted 
to  him,  to  whom  he  preached  the  gosj)el,  and  healed  their  sick. 

S. — While  Jesus  lingered  here,  what  intelligence  came  to  him 
from  his  friends  at  Bethany? 

F. — He  heard  that  his  friend  Lazarus  was  sick.  On  hearins: 
this,  he  did  not  at  once  hasten  to  Bethany,  but  tarried  two  days 
in  the  place  where  he  was.  He  then  told  his  disciples  that  Laz- 
arus was  dead ;  and  proposed  that  they  should  go  at  once  to  the 
afflicted  family.  But  the  disciples  discouraged  him,  sajdng,  "  The 
Jews  of  late  sought  to  stone  thee  ;  and  goest  thou  thither  again? '" 
He  insisted,  however,  upon  going,  and  his  disciples  went  with 
him. 


452  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

When  Jesus  arrived  at  Bethany,  he  found  jNlartha  and  Mary  in 
great  affliction;  for  their  brother  had  been  dead  four  days.  He 
repaired  with  them  to  the  sepulchre,  commanded  that  the  stone 
which  closed  it  should  be  removed,  and  having  offered  up  a  short 
prayer,  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  "  Lazarus,  come  forth  !  "  And 
he  that  was  dead  came  forth,  bound  hand  and  foot  Avith  grave 
clothes.     And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  "  Loose  him,  and  let  him  go." 

S. — What  effect  had  this  miracle  on  the  Jews  at  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — Many,  in  consequence  of  it,  were  led  to  believe  in  Christ ; 
and  this  alarmed  the  Jewish  rulers  the  more,  who  came  at  once  to 
the  conclusion  that  Jesus  must  be  put  to  death. 

aS'. — To  avoid  his  enemies,  where  did  Jesus  now  retire  ? 

F. — To  a  little  city  called  Ephraim,  lying  north  of  Jerusalem,  at 
the  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  miles.  But  the  Passover  was  at 
hand,  and  he  soon  left  his  retreat  to  return  to  Jerusalem.  On  the 
way,  he  spoke  further  to  his  disciples  of  his  apj3roaching  sufferings 
and  death;  but  they  could  not  understand  him.  Their  minds 
were  still  intent  upon  a  temporal  kingdom,  and  they  were  even 
plotting  among  themselves,  as  they  passed  along,  who  should  be 
the  greatest  in  that  kingdom. 

S. — Did  Jesus  and  his  disciples  go  directly  to  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — Not  directly ;  they  took  a  circuitous  route  through  Jericho. 
And  as  they  went  out  of  Jericho,  they  passed  two  blind  men  who 
sat  by  the  wayside  begging.  One  of  them, — and  the  only  one 
spoken  of  by  Mark  and  Luke, — was  Bartimeus,  who  seems  to  have 
been  more  importunate,  and  to  have  attracted  more  notice,  than 
the  other.  He  persisted  in  crying  aloud,  and  would  not  be 
silenced:  "Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  us!"  And 
Jesus  called  them  to  him,  and  kindly  inquired  what  they  desired 
of  him ;  and  they  said,  "  Lord,  that  we  may  receive  our  sight." 
And  Jesus  touched  their  eyes  and  said,  "  Receive  your  sight ; " 
and  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they  followed  him  in  the  way. 

S. — What  were  some  of  the  incidents  of  the  journey  from  Jeri- 
cho to  Jerusalem? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  453 

F. — It  was  on  this  journey  that  our  Lord  met  and  converted 
Zaccheus  the  publican  (Luke  xix.  1).  It  was  at  this  time,  also, 
that  he  uttered  the  parable  of  the  ten  pounds,  designed  to  set 
forth  the  reward  of  his  faithful  servants,  and  the  destruction  that 
was  to  overwhelm  his  enemies. 

S. — As  Jesus  and  his  disciples  drew  near  to  Jerusalem,  by 
whom  were  they  received  and  entertained  ? 

F. — By  his  faithful  friends,  Martha  and  Mary,  at  Bethany. 
Here  they  made  him  a  supper,  and  Martha  served ;  while  the 
raised  Lazarus  sat  with  him  at  the  table.  He  was  also  received 
by  Simon,  who  had  been  a  leper,  but  whom,  in  all  probability, 
Jesus  had  healed.  It  was  while  sitting  at  meat  in  his  house,  that 
Mary  came  with  her  box  of  spikenard  and  poured  it  on  his  head ; 
which  gave  occasion  to  the  spiteful  remark  of  Judas :  "  Why  was 
not  this  ointment  sold  for  more  than  three  hundred  pence,  and 
given  to  the  poor?" 

S. — On  the  day  following,  what  remarkable  occurrence  took 
place  ? 

F. — In  fulfillment  of  an  ancient  prophecy  (Zech.  ix.  9),  Jesus 
rode  into  Jerusalem  on  an  ass's  colt — the  only  instance  recorded 
of  his  riding,  except  on  the  sea,  during  his  whole  public  ministry. 
And  now  he  rode  in  a  sort  of  triumph ;  some  of  his  friends 
spreading  their  garments  in  the  way,  and  others  strewing  it  with 
green  boughs,  and  all  shouting  togetlier :  "  Hosannah  to  the  Son  of 
David !  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ! 
Hosannah  in  the  highest ! "  They  seem  to  have  anticipated  that 
the  temporal  kingdom,  so  long  desired,  was  now  to  be  set  up. 

aS'. — Arrived  in  Jerusalem,  what  did  our  Savior  do  ? 

F. — He  went  into  the  temple,  and  saw  with  sorrow  what  was 
done  there.  He  undertook  to  accomplish, — what  he  had  done  once 
before, — a  inirgation  of  the  temple.  He  cast  out  them  that  sold 
and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables  of  the  money- 
changers, and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold  doves,  and  would  not  that 
any  should  carry  any  vessel  through  the  temple  (Mark  xi.  15,  16). 


454  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were  not  slow  to  demand  of  him,  "  By 
what  authority  doest  thou  these  things  ?  "  But  instead  of  answer- 
ing them  directly,  our  Savior  put  to  them  a  question :  "  The  bap- 
tism of  Jolin,  was  it  from  heaven,  or  of  men  ?  "  This  question 
they  did  not  care  to  answer  either  way ;  and  so  our  Lord  declined 
answering  their  question. 

From  this  time  our  Lord  continued  his  discourses  in  the  temple 
for  several  days,  in  a  way  to  arouse  and  exasperate  the  chief  priests, 
the  Pharisees,  and  Scribes.  He  delivered  the  parable  of  the  vine- 
yard let  out  to  unfaithful  husbandmen,  which  they  could  not  but 
interpret  against  themselves  ;  also  the  parable  of  the  marriage  feast, 
to  which  those  who  were  first  invited  would  not  come.  He  con- 
founded the  Pharisees  and  Herodians,  who  came  to  him  with  an 
artful  question  about  paying  tribute  to  Ceesar.  He  met  the  Sad- 
ducees,  and  answered  their  foolish  objection  against  the  resurrection 
of  the  dead.  He  reproved  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  for  their 
manifold  hypocrisy,  oppression,  and  wickedness,  and  denounced 
woe  after  woe  upon  them,  till  it  seemed  as  though  their  measure  of 
woe  must  be  full.  Christ  knew  that  he  was  delivering  his  last  mes- 
sage to  them,  and  he  meant  that  it  should  be  one  of  searching  plain- 
ness, of  terror,  and  of  power. 

S. — On  leaving  the  temple,  what  did  the  disciples  do? 

F. — They  took  Jesus  to  show  him  the  stones  and  buildings  of 
the  temple.  This  was  Herod's  temple,  which  he  had  commenced 
building  several  years  before  his  death,  and  which  was  not  yet  com- 
pleted. Jesus  said  unto  them,  "  See  ye  not  these  great  buildings  ? 
The  days  are  coming  when  there  shall  not  be  left  one  stone  upon 
another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down."  This  prediction  was 
astounding  to  the  disciples,  and  they  followed  it  with  another 
question  :  "  Master,  when  shall  these  things  be  ?  and  what  shall 
be  the  sign  of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ? "  In 
answer  to  these  inquiries,  our  Savior  was  led  to  speak  very  particu- 
larly of  the  approaching  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  temple, 
and  of  the  signs  which  should    precede  this  terrible  catastrophe. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  4o5 

And  then,  passing  over  from  the  type  to  the  antitype,  and  following 
ont  the  inquiry  of  tlie  Apostles,  he  was  led  to  speak  of  the  final 
judgment  and  the  end  of  the  world;  interspersing  with  the  predic- 
tion the  parables  of  the  ten  virgins,  and  of  the  talents,  designed  to 
impress  upon  the  disciples  the  necessity  of  constant  watchfulness, 
and  a  diligent  preparation  for  his  coming  and  kingdom. 

S. — As  we  have  now  come  to  the  evening  of  our  Savior's  last 
Passover,  and  the  journeyings  of  his  weary  life  are  over,  will  you 
please  to  sum  them  up,  recount  them,  that  we  may  get  a  connected 
view  of  them  ? 

F. — From  early  infancy  until  about  the  thirtieth  year  of  his  life, 
he  spent  his  time  chiefly  at  Nazareth,  an  obscure  village  of  Galilee, 
subject  to  his  reputed  father,  and  laboring  Avith  him  as  a  carpenter. 
In  his  thirtieth  year,  he  left  Galilee,  and  came  to  John  at  Bethabara, 
where  he  was  baptized.  After  his  baptism,  he  retired  into  the  wil- 
derness of  Judea,  where  he  tarried  forty  days,  and  was  tempted  of 
the  devil.  Thence  he  returned  to  John,  and  soon  after  went  into 
Galilee  to  meet  his  mother.  From  Galilee  he  went  up  to  Jerusa- 
lem to  his  first  Passover,  and  spent  several  months  teaching  and 
preaching  in  Judea.  After  the  imprisonment  of  John,  he  went 
into  Galilee,  where  he  remained  till  the  second  Passover.  He  went 
up  to  the  feast,  but  tarrietL  in  Jerusalem  but  a  short  time.  He  re- 
turned to  Galilee,  and  there  continued  through  the  year.  He  did 
not  go  to  the  third  Passover,  but  took  a  journey  into  Syria,  almost 
to  the  confines  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  Returned  from  this  excursion, 
he  took  another  into  the  north-easterW  part  of  Palestine,  going  as 
far  as  Cffisarea  Philippi.  He  came  back  to  Capernaum,  and  soon 
set  forward  to  Jerusalem  to  attend  the  feast  of  Tabernacles.  From 
Jerusalem  he  returned  to  Galilee  for  the  last  time,  and  having  fin- 
ished his  work  there,  he  went  again  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of  the 
Dedication.  Here  the  Jews  sought  his  life,  and  he  retired,  for  a 
season,  to  Bethabara,  where  he  was  baptized.  From  this  place,  he 
was  summoned  to  Bethany,  by  the  sickness  and  death  of  Lazarus, 
whom  he  raised  from  the  dead.     "When  the  Jews  asfain  souscht  to 


456  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

kill  him,  he  retired  to  the  little  village  of  Ephraim,  some  ten  or 
twelve  miles  north  of  Jerusalem.  Here  he  remained  until  a  short 
time  before  the  Passover,  when  he  returned,  by  the  way  of  Jericho, 
to  Jerusalem,  where  he  ate  the  Passover,  was  betrayed,  and  cruci- 
fied. 

8. — A  busy  and  laborious  life  !  we  must  all  say. 

F. — Yes,  a  busy  and  laborious  life  !  In  something  less  than  four 
years,  our  Savior  made  four  journeys  from  Galilee  into  Judea,  and 
back  again,  in  addition  to  the  last,  from  which  he  did  not  return. 
This  would  carry  him  over  the  ground  nine  times,  besides  his  ex- 
cursions to  the  north  of  Galilee,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem, 
and  his  repeated  preaching  tours  in  both  countries.  All  these 
journeys  he  accomplished  on  foot,  surrounded  generally  by  throng- 
ing multitudes,  whom  he  carefully  instructed,  and  repeatedly  fed, 
and  for  whose  benefit  he  performed  continual  miracles.  Who  will 
say  that  our  Savior's  public  life  was  not  a  beneficent  and  a  weary 
one  ?     What  Christian  will  complain  of  labors,  after  this  ? 


CONVERSATION  III. 

LIFE  OF  CHRIST  CONTINUED.— Contract  to  betray  Christ.— The  price  less  than 
twenty  dollars. — An  astounding  revelation. — The  garden  of  Gethsemane. — Crucifixion  a 
Eoinan  mode  of  punishing  criminals. — The  message  of  Pilate's  wife  concerning  Jesus. — 
The  death  on  the  cross. — Burial  in  Joseph's  new  tomb. — The  resurrection. — Scenes 
after.— The  ascension. 

So7i. — When  did  Judas  contract  with  the  chief  ^oriests  to  betray 
his  Master  ? 

Father. — Two  days  before  tlie  Passover,  he  went  to  them  pri- 
vately and  said,  "  What  will  ye  give  me,  and  I  will  deliver  him 
unto  you  ?  And  they  covenanted  with  him  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  " — less  than  twenty  dollars  of  our  money. 

iS'. — What  preparation  was  made  for  the  Passover  ? 

F. — On  the  fifth  day  of  the  Jewish  week — answering  to  our 
Thursday — Jesus  dispatched  Peter  and  John  to  the  city,  to  make 
ready  the  Passover, — giving  them  particular  directions  where  to  go, 
and  with  whom  to  find  the  necessary  accommodations.  They  went, 
and  found  all  things  as  their  Master  had  described. 

S. — How  were  the  other  disciples  employed  meanwhile  ? 

F. — They  were  having  one  of  those  strange  disputes  of  which  we 
hear  so  much, — who  of  them  should  be  the  greatest.  So  to  reprove 
them,  after  they  had  sat  down  to  the  paschal  supper,  Jesus  rose 
from  the  table,  laid  aside  his  outward  garments,  girded  himself  with 
a  towel,  and  began  to  wash  his  disciples'  feet.  This  he  did,  to  set 
them  an  examj^le  of  humility  and  condescension :  "  If  I,  your  Lord 
and  Master,  have  washed  your  feet,  so  ought  ye  to  wash  one 
another's  feet."  Instead  of  striving  as  to  which  of  j'ou  shall  be  the 
greatest,  be  ready,  at  all  times,  to  perform  one  for  another  every 
needed  act  of  condescension  and  love. 

S. — When  Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  eating  the  Passover,  what 
astounding  revelation  did  he  make  to  them? 

F. — He  testified  and  said,  "  Behold  one  of  you  shall  betray  me." 
This  led  to  instant  personal  inquiry  ;  when  our  Savior  indicated, 


458  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

though  not  ill  a  wa}^  to  be  generally  understood,  that  the  traitor 
was  no  other  than  Judas  Iscariot.  Shortly  after  this,  Judas  left 
them,  and  went  out  to  carry  into  effect  his  traitorous  design. 

S. — When  was  the  Lord's  su23per  instituted  ? 

jP. — After  the  departure  of  Judas,  our  Savior  had  a  long  and 
affecting  conversation  with  the  eleven  disciples,  in  which  he  ex- 
horted them  to  mutual  love,  told  them  what  was  to  come,  and 
urged  them  to  be  prepared  for  it.  After  this  he  took  bread,  and 
blessed  and  brake  it,  and  instituted  the  sacred  supper,  to  take  the 
place  of  the  Passover,  and  to  be  a  standing  memorial,  in  all  coming 
time,  of  his  sufferings  and  death. 

Nor  did  our  Savior  immediately  leave  the  chamber,  when  the 
supper  was  ended.  He  sat  long  time  there  with  his  disciples,  and 
delivered  those  most  instructive  and  comforting  discourses,  and 
offered  up  that  remarkable  intercessory  prayer,  which  we  find 
recorded  from  the  fourteenth  to  the  seventeenth  chapters  of  John. 

S. — On  leaving  the  Passover  chamber,  where  did  Jesus  and  his 
disciples  go  ? 

F. — They  went  out  of  Jerusalem  on  the  way  to  tlie  mount  of 
Olives.  As  they  passed  along,  Jesus  continued  his  conversation 
with  his  disciples,  repeating  his  warnings  as  to  what  was  coming, 
and  its  effects  upon  them  :  "  All  ye  shall  be  offended  " — stumbled — 
"because  of  me  this  night."  But  Peter  replied  with  his  usual  self- 
confidence,  "  Though  all  shall  be  offended,  yet  will  not  I."  Our 
Savior  turned  to  him  and  said :  "  This  very  night,  before  the  cock 
crow  twice,  thou  slialt  deny  me  thrice." 

S. — On  their  way  to  Olivet,  where  did  our  Savior  stop,  with  his 
disciples  ? 

F. — In  the  garden  of  Gethsemane — a  secluded  spot,  where  Jesus 
often  went  with  his  disciples.  Here  he  fell  into  an  intense  and 
indescribable  agony,  under  which  his  human  nature  seemed  ready 
to  sink.  He  prayed  repeatedly,  though  Avith  the  most  entire  sub- 
mission to  the  Divine  will,  that  the  cup  of  suffering  might  pass 
from  him.     So  intense  was  his  agon}-,  that  his  sweat  was,  as  it  were, 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  459 

great  drops  of  blood  falling  down  to  the  ground.  He  had  exhorted 
his  disciples  to  watch  with  him  in  his  extremity,  but,  by  some 
strange  fatuity,  they  had  fallen  asleep. 

S. — What  event  occurred,  to  arouse  them  from  their  slumbers? 

F. — It  was  at  this  time,  and  under  these  circumstances,  that 
Judas,  with  his  ruffian  band,  came  upon  them  to  take  Jesus.  He 
voluntarily  surrendered  himself  to  his  persecutors,  and  consented  to 
be  boimd,  and  led  away  as  a  captive  criminal  to  the  high  priest's 
palace.  Here  he  was  first  examined.  It  was  here  that  Peter 
denied  him,  but  soon  and  bitterly  repented  of  his  denial. 

*S'. — Where  was  he  next  taken  for  examination  ? 

F. — At  break  of  day,  he  was  removed  to  the  hall  of  the  San- 
hedrim, where  he  was  still  further  examined ;  and  on  his  confessimr 
himself  to  be  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God  and  future  judge  of  the 
world,  he  was  charged  with  blasphemy,  and  pronounced  guilty  of 
death. 

S. — Why  was  not  Jesus  stoned,  as  a  blasphemer  ? 

F. — Had  the  Jews  been  permitted  to  execute  their  sentence,  he 
would  undoubtedly  have  been  stoned  ;  for  this  was  the  form  of 
death  prescribed  by  the  Jewish  law  "for  the  blasphemer.  But  our 
Savior  was  not  to  die  in  this  manner.  He  was  to  "  be  lifted  up," 
to  "be  hanged  on  a  tree,"  or,  in  other  words,  to  be  crucified. 
Hence  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  be  put  to  death  by  the 
Romans  ;  for  crucifixion  was  not  a  Jewish,  but  a  Roman  mode  of 
executing  criminals. 

S. — Where  was  our  Savior  next  brought  for  trial  ? 

F. — Before  Pilate,  the  Roman  governor.  And  here  the  accusa- 
tion against  him  was  entirely  changed.  Before,  he  had  been 
accused  of  blasphemy;  but  now  he  is  charged  with  setting  himself 
up  to  be  a  king,  and  thus  conspiring  against  the  Roman  govern- 
ment. This,  it  was  thought,  was  a  charge  in  which  Pilate  Avould 
feel  some  interest ;  whereas  he  would  care  little  for  a  charge  of 
blasphemy  against  the  God  of  the  Jews.  Pilate  examined  our 
Savior  closely  on  the  charge  presented,  and  was  about  to  release 


460  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

him  ;  but  hearing  incidentally  that  he  was  a  Galilean,  he  resolved 
to  pass  him  over  to  Herod,  who  was  at  this  time  at  Jerusalem.  But 
Herod,  with  his  men  of  war,  set  him  at  nought,  mocked  him, 
arrayed  him  in  a  purple  robe,  and  sent  him  again  to  Pilate. 

^'._What  did  Pilate  now  do  ? 

F. — He  made  another  effort  to  release  him  ;  but  was  overborne 
by  the  clamor  of  the  Jews.  He  repeatedly  declared  that  he  found 
no  fault  in  him  ;  but  the  enemies  of  Christ  would  listen  to  nothing 
but  his  crucifixion.  The  governor,  therefore,  was  compelled  to 
yield.  He  first  took  the  blessed  Jesus  and  scourged  him.  Then 
the  soldiers  took  off  his  garments,  arrayed  him  in  purple,  platted  a 
crown  of  thorns  and  put  it  on  his  head;  and  still  further  to  ridicule 
his  pretensions  to  royalty,  they  put  a  reecl  into  his  right  hand,  to 
represent  a  sceptre,  and  bowled  the  knee  before  him,  saying,  "  Hail, 
king  of  the  Jews."  They  also  spit  upon  him,  and  took  the  reed  out 
of  his  right  hand,  and  smote  him  on  the  head. 

S. — While  this  profane  mockery  and  cruelty  were  going  on, 
what  occurred  ? 

F. — Pilate  received  a  message  from  his  wife,  charging  him  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man.  This,  with  some  other 
things,  caused  the  governor  still  further  to  hesitate.  He  went 
again  into  the  judgment  hall,  examined  anew  his  bleeding  victim, 
and  was  more  earnest  than  before  to  release  him.  But  the  more  he 
wavered,  the  more  fierce  and  clamorous  were  the  Jews.  "If  thou 
let  this  man  go,  thou  art  not  Ccesar's  friend.  Crucify  him,  crucify 
him."  When  Pilate  saw  that  he  could  prevail  nothing,  but  that 
rather  a  tumult  was  made,  he  took  water  and  washed  his  hands 
before  the  multitude,  saying,  "  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  man."  Then  the  Jews  answered  and  said,  "  His  blood  be  on 
us,  and  on  our  children  " — an  imprecation  which  has  been  most 
terribly  fulfilled. 

>S'. — When  the  Jews  had  received  their  victim,  what  did  they  do 
with  him  ? 

F. — They  took  off  from  him  the  purple  in  which  the  soldiers  had 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  461 

arrayed  liim,  put  liis  own  clothes  upon  him,  and  led  him  forth  to 
the  place  of  crucifixion.  On  the  way,  he  was  attended  by  his  faith- 
ful female  friends,  who  bewailed  and  lamented  him,  and  to  whom 
he  administered  words  of  instruction :  "  Daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
weep  not  for  me,  but  weep  for  yourselves  and  your  children." 

S. — How  was  Judas  Iscariot  affected,  by  what  had  taken  place  ? 

F. — When  he  saw  that  Jesus  had  been  condemned,  he  was  dis- 
tressed for  what  he  had  done.  So  he  brought  back  the  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  threw  them  down  in  the  temple,  and,  in  his  desper- 
ation, went  out  and  hanged  himself. 

S, — Where  was  our  Savior  crucified  ? 

F. — The  place  is  called  Golgotha,  and  Calvary ;  but  the  precise 
locality  is  uncertain.  We  only  know  that  it  was  without  the  walls 
of  the  ancient  city,  and  probably  on  the  north-western  border. 
Here  Jesus  was  led,  bearing  his  cross  (so  long  as  he  was  able  to 
bear  it),  and  attended  by  two  thieves  who  were  to  suffer  with  him. 
And  here,  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory  was  crucified !  His  hands  and 
feet  were  nailed  to  the  fatal  wood ;  the  cross  was  erected,  and  here 
he  hung  in  shame  and  agony — a  monument  at  once  of  the  justice 
and  grace  of  God,  and  of  the  insatiate  cruelty  of  man.  It  was 
while  the  nails  were  driving  through  his  flesh,  and  every  nerve 
within  him  must  have  twinged  with  the  keenest  torture,  that  he 
prayed  for  his  murderers :  "  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do." 

S. — How  long  did  our  Savior  live,  after  he  came  to  the  cross  ? 

F. — About  six  hours,  i.  e.  from  nine  in  the  morning  until  three 
in  the  afternoon.  During  the  first  three  hours,  he  was  continually 
insulted  and  reproached  by  those  who  stood  by.  They  wagged 
their  heads,  saying,  "  Ah  !  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple,  and 
bulkiest  it  in  three  days,  save  thyself,  if  thou  be  the  Son  of  God. 
He  saved  others  ;  himself  he  cannot  save."  It  was  during  these  first 
three  hours,  that  he  commended  his  mother  to  the  care  of  John,  and 
pardoned  and  assured  the  penitent  thief.  At  the  end  of  three  hours 
there  came  a  supernatural  darkness  over  all  the  land  until  the  nint'- 


462  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

hour — fit  emblem  of  the  darkness  and  horror  which  seem  to  have 
pervaded  the  pure  mind  of  the  Savior  during  this  period.  At  the 
ninth  hour,  when  the  sufferer  could  endure  no  longer,  he  uttered 
that  loud  and  bitter  cry,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me  !  "  Shortly  after,  when  he  had  sucked  some  vinegar  from 
a  sponge  that  was  put  to  his  lips,  and  thus  fulfilled  the  last  predic- 
tion in  regard  to  his  sufferings,  he  said,  "  It  is  finished ;  "  and  he 
bowed  his  head  and  gave  up  the  ghost.  Thus  died  the  immaculate 
Son  of  God,  and  made  expiation  for  the  sins  of  the  world.  Thus 
ended,  in  a  moment,  all  his  sufferings,  and  his  pure  soul  took  its 
flight  to  the  Paradise  of  God.  No  indignity  was  offered  to  his  life- 
less body,  except  that,  to  make  sure  of  his  death,  it  was  pierced, 
shortly  after,  with  a  soldier's  spear. 

S. — Did  the  powers  of  nature  seem  to  sympathize  with  the  dying 
Savior  at  this  moment  ? 

F. — They  did,  most  fearfully  and  wonderfully ;  for,  in  addition  to 
the  appalling  darkness  which  brooded  over  the  whole  land,  there 
was  now  a  terrible  earthquake,  Avhich  rent  the  rocks  asunder,  and 
burst  open  the  tombs.  The  thick  veil  of  the  temple,  which  separa- 
ted the  holy  from  the  most  holy  place,  was  also  rent  in  pieces, — 
thus  indicating  that  the  dispensation  of  types  and  shadows  was 
ended,  and  that  the  way  into  the  holy  of  holies  was  made  manifest 
by  the  blood  of  Christ.  The  earthquake  and  the  darkness  put  an 
end  to  the  profane  mockeries  which  had  been  indulged  in  around 
the  cross.  Every  one  quaked  and  shuddered  with  fear.  They 
smote  upon  their  breasts  and  said,  "  Certainly  this  was  a  righteous 
man.     He  was  the  Son  of  God." 

>S'. — What  was  done,  the  same  evening,  about  entombing  the 
Savior  ? 

F. — Joseph  of  Arimathea,  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrim,  but  who 
had  not  consented  to  their  vile  proceedings,  came  boldly  to  Pilate, 
and  asked  that  he  might  have  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  when  Pilate 
had  ascertained  that  the  body  was  truly  dead,  he  gave  it  to  Joseph. 
Then  Joseph,  assisted  by  other  friends,  took  down  the  body  and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  463 

wrapped  it  in  a  clean  linen  cloth.  Nicodemus  also  came  to  his 
assistance,  bringing  a  hundred  pounds  Aveight  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  to 
prepare  the  body  for  its  burial.  And  having  swathed  it  with  the 
spices,  they  laid  it  in  a  new  tomb  which  had  been  hewed  out  of  a 
rock  near  by,  in  which  no  person  had  ever  yet  been  laid  ;  and  they 
rolled  a  great  stone  to  the  door  of  the  sepulchre,  and  departed. 

*S'. — Where,  all  this  while,  were  the  female  friends  of  Christ  ? 

F. — They  never  deserted  him  for  a  moment.  They  saw  him  die, 
saw  him  taken  down  from  the  cross,  followed  him  to  the  tomb,  and 
saw  where  he  was  laid. 

S. — And  how  were  the  Jews  employed  ? 

F. — They  too  were  on  the  alert.  To  make  sure  against  any 
attempt  to  remove  the  body  privately,  they  procured  an  order  from 
Pilate  that  the  door  of  the  tomb  should  be  sealed,  and  a  watch  set 
to  guard  it,  at  least  until  after  the  third  day.  When  all  this  was 
done,  the  tomb  was  left  in  charge  of  the  guards ;  and  friends  and 
enemies  departed  to  keep  the  Passover  Sabbath,  which  by  the  Jews 
was  regarded  as  a  great  day.  And,  in  truth,  it  was  a  great  day. 
Never  before  had  such  a  Sabbath  been  kept  in  Jerusalem.  The 
chief  priests  and  Pharisees  were  in  high  exultation,  though  not  alto- 
gether without  anxieties  and  fears.  The  terrible  portents  attend- 
ing the  death  of  Jesus,  together  with  his  known  prediction  that  he 
should  rise  on  the  third  day,  were  enough  to  fill  them  with  appre- 
hension. 

S. — And  what  were  the  feelings  of  the  disciples  and  friends  of 
Christ,  on  this  memorable  day  ? 

F. — To  them  it  was  a  time  of  deep  distress.  They  knew  not  how 
to  understand  the  trying  scenes  through  which  they  had  passed,  or 
what  to  think  of  them.  They  trusted  that  they  had  found  the 
long  promised  Messiah  who  was  to  deliver  Israel ;  but  he  was  dead 
and  buried,  and  all  their  hopes  were  buried  with  him. 

But  the  Sabbath  passed  quietly  away,  and  the  night  following, 
and  the  first  day  of  the  week  began  to  dawn.  And  now  we  come 
to  a  new  chapter  in  our  Savior's  history, — his  triumphant  resurrec- 

29 


464  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tion,  his  occasional  appearance  for  the  next  forty  days,  and  his 
final  and  glorious  ascension  into  heaven. 

S. — Some  persons  have  thought  it  impossible  to  harmonize  the 
different  accounts  of  the  Evangelists  in  regard  to  our  Savior's 
resurrection  and  subsequent  appearances :  Will  you  please  to 
detail  the  several  events  in  the  order  in  which  you  think  they  took 
place  ? 

F. — Towards  morning,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  while  the 
guard  was  keeping  watch  about  the  sepulchre,  suddenl}^  there  was 
a  great  earthquake.  One  of  the  chiefest  of  the  angels  of  light 
descended  from  heaven,  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of  the 
sepulchre,  and  sat  upon  it.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning, 
and  his  raiment  white  as  snow.  For  fear  of  him,  the  keepers  trem- 
bled, swooned  away,  and  became  as  dead  men  ;  so  that  they  were 
no  longer  able  to  see  or  tell  what  was  passing  around  them.  At 
this  time,  Jesus  awoke  from  the  dead,  threw  aside  his  grave-clothes, 
and  left  the  sepulchre.  At  the  same  time,  also,  many  bodies  of  the 
old  saints,  which  had  been  buried  round  about  Jerusalem,  and 
whose  tombs  had  been  broken  open  by  the  earthquakes,  arose  from 
the  dead,  went  into  the  hoi}'"  city,  and  appeared  unto  many. 

While  these  things  were  passing  at  the  sepulchre,  and  among  the 
dead,  the  female  friends  of  Christ  were  awake,"  and  preparing  to  go 
to  the  sepulchre,  that  they  might  more  formally  and  perfectly 
embalm  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  as  they  passed  along  to  the  sepul- 
chre, they  had  some  anxiety  and  conversation  about  the  stone  at 
the  mouth  of  it.  It  was  very  great,  and  who  should  assist  them  in 
rolling  it  away  ?  But  as  they  approached  the  sepulchre,  they  saw 
that  the  stone  was  rolled  away.  As  soon  as  the  women  saw  that 
the  tomb  had  been  opened,  they  stopped  and  turned  back,  and 
Mary  Magdalene  ran  into  the  city  to  inform  the  disciples.  Peter 
and  John  arose,  at  once,  and  ran  to  the  sepulchre.  They  went 
down  into  it,  and  found  the  grave-clothes  carefully  laid  away ;  but 
the  body  was  not  there.  Tliey  returned  in  doubt  and  wonder  to 
the  city,  leaving  Mary  Magdalene,  who  had  followed  them,  alone  at 


COXVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  4G5 

the  sejpiilchre.  As  she  wept,  she  stooped  down  and  looked  into  the 
sepulchre.  And  there  she  saw  two  angels  sitting, — the  one  at  the 
head,  and  the  other  at  the  feet, — where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  been 
laid.  They  seem  to  have  been  in  the  form  of  men,  so  that  she  was 
not  frightened  at  all  by  the  apparition.  And  one  of  them  said  to 
her,  "  Why  weepest  tliou  ?  "  She  answered,  "  Because  they  have 
taken  away  my  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him." 
And  having  said  this,  she  turned  round,  and  saw  Jesus  standing 
near  her  ;  and  supposing  him  to  be  the  gardener,  she  said  :  "  Sir,  if 
you  have  removed  the  body  of  my  Lord,  please  tell  me  where  you 
have  laid  it,  and  I  Mill  take  it  away."  Then  Jesus  said  unto  her  in 
his  usual  voice  and  manner,  "  INIary  I "  Instantly  she  knew  him, 
and  was  about  to  fall  at  his  feet  and  embrace  him  ;  but  he  told  her, 
"  No,  not  now.  Run  quickly  and  tell  my  discif)les  what  you  have 
seen." 

While  Mary  was  gone  with  her  message  to  the  disciples,  the 
other  women,  from  whom  she  had  been  separated,  came  to  the 
sepulchre,  at  the  rising  of  the  sun.  They  even  ventured  to  go 
down  into  it;  and  there — instead  of  the  body  of  Jesus — the}^  saw 
two  angels  in  the  form  of  men — probably  the  same  which  had 
before  appeared  to  Mary  Magdalene — sitting,  in  shining  garments, 
on  the  right  side  of  the  sepulchre.  The  angels  spoke  kindly  to 
them,  told  them  not  to  be  affrighted,  and  no  longer  to  seek  the  liv- 
ing among  the  dead.  "  Your  Lord  is  not  here  ;  he  is  risen  ;  come 
see  the  place  where  they  laid  him.  And  now  go  quickly  and  tell 
his  disciples  that  he  is  indeed  risen  from  the  dead." 

And  as  they  went  to  tell  the  disciples,  Jesus  met  them,  and  said 
unto  them,  "  All  hail !  "  And  they  fell  together  at  his  feet  and  wor- 
shiped him.  But  he  hastened  their  departure,  as  he  had  before 
done  in  the  case  of  Mary  ]Magdalene  :  "  Go  tell  my  brethren  that  I 
am  alive,  and  that,  ere  long,  they  shall  see  me."  So  they  ran  and 
united  their  testimony  with  that  of  Mary,  that  they  had  seen  the 
Lord.  But  the  disciples  were  slow  of  heart  to  believe ;  they 
thought  the  women  had  been  deluded,  and  their  words  seemed  to 


466  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


them  as  idle  tales.  Some  time  in  the  course  of  the  day  our  Savior 
appeared  to  Peter,  but  under  what  circumstances  we  are  not 
informed  (Luke  xxiv.  34).  In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  he 
appeared  to  the  two  disciples,  as  they  went  to  Emmaus  (Luke  xxiv. 
13-31),  and  made  himself  known  to  them  in  the  breaking  of  bread. 
These  disciples  returned,  at  once,  to  Jerusalem,  and  found  the  apos- 
tles and  other  disciples  assembled  with  closed  doors ;  and  no  sooner 
had  they  commenced  telling  their  story,  than  Jesus  himself  appeared 
there  in  their  midst,  and  said,  "  Peace  be  unto  you  !  "  They  were 
all  terrified  and  affrighted,  and  supposed  that  they  had  seen  a 
spirit ;  but  Jesus  soon  satisfied  them  that  he  was  something  more 
than  a  spirit :  "  Handle  me  and  see  ;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and 
bones  as  ye  see  me  have."  He  kindly  reproved  them  for  their  un- 
belief, in  not  receiving  the  testimony  of  those  who  had  seen  him, 
and  left  them  with  the  comforting  benediction,  "  Peace  be  unto 
you ;  as  my  father  hath  sent  me,  so  send  I  you." 

Thus  closed  the  transactions  of  this  important  day — the  first 
Lord's  day  under  the  new  dispensation.  Christ  appeared  visibly 
during  the  day  no  less  than  five  times :  first  to  Mary  INIagdalene ; 
secondly,  to  the  other  females ;  third,  to  Peter ;  fourth,  to  the  two 
disciples  on  the  way  to  Emmaus ;  and  fifth,  to  the  assembled  Apos- 
tles and  disciples  at  Jerusalem. 

;S'. — There  are  some  mj^steries  about  the  properties  of  our 
Savior's  raised  body.  It  could  enter  and  leave  a  room  Avith  closed 
doors  ;  it  could  go  from  place  to  place  otherwise  than  by  the  ordi- 
nary processes  of  locomotion  ;  it  could  appear  in  other  than  its 
natural  form  ;  it  could  make  itself  visible  or  invisible  at  pleasure 
and  yet  it  seems  not  to  have  parted  with  all  its  grossness.  It  had 
"flesh  and  bones;"  and  in  repeated  instances,  after  the  resurrec- 
tion, our  Savior  partook  of  material  food. 

F. — I  know  not  how  to  account  for  all  the  phenomena  in  the 
case  before  us,  but  by  supposing  that  the  change  from  the  natural 
to  the  spiritual  body  commenced  at  the  resurrection,  but  was  not 
consummated  until  our  Savior's  ascension.     As  he  was  to  remain 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  467 

on  the  earth  fort}-  days,  and  furnish  "  infallible  proofs  "  meanwhile 
of  his  resurrection  from  tlie  dead,  it  was  necessary  that  his  body 
should  retain  at  least  some  of  its  natural  properties  ;  else  how  could 
these  "infallible  proofs"  be  given.  But  when  they  had  been 
adequately  furnished,  and  his  work  on  earth  was  done,  and  he  was 
about  to  ascend  to  the  right  hand  of  God  in  heaven ;  then  these 
remaining  natural  properties  were  laid  aside,  and  the  entire  spirit- 
ual body,  in  all  its  fullness  and  glory  was  assumed. 

S. — Our  Savior  is  spoken  of  as  "  the  first  fruits  from  the  dead," 
and  "  the  first  that  should  rise  from  the  dead  "  (Acts  xxvi.  23)  ; 
and  yet  several  persons  had  been  raised  before  him — some  of  them 
by  himself. 

F. — I  suppose  that  he  was  the  first  that  ever  rose  with  a  proper 
resurrection  body — rose  to  die  no  more. 

>S'. — Did  our  Savior  make  any  visible  appearances  between  the 
first  Lord's  day  and  the  second  ? 

F. — Not  that  we  know  of;  nor  do  we  know  how  the  disciples 
were  employed.  But  when  they  had  assembled  on  the  second 
Lord's  day,  Christ  appeared  in  the  midst  of  them,  as  before.  He 
appeared  now  to  convince  the  incredulous  Thomas  that  he  was 
indeed  alive.  "  Reach  hither  thy  fingers,  and  behold  my  hands  ; 
and  reach  hither  thy  hand  and  thrust  it  into  my  side ;  and  be  not 
faithless,  but  believing." 

S. — Where  was  our  Lord's  next  appearance? 

F. — It  was  in  Galilee,  where  the  disciples  had  gone  in  expecta- 
tion of  meeting  him.  They  had  been  fishing  all  the  night  and  had 
taken  nothing.  In  the  morning  their  Lord  appeared  to  them  on 
the  shore.  As  soon  as  they  knew  him,  they  rushed  forward  to  meet 
him,  and  had  a  most  interesting  season  of  communion  with  him. 
It  was  at  this  time  that  he  thrice  demanded  of  Peter,  "  Lovest  thou 
me  ? "  and  received  the  thrice  repeated  protestations  of  Peter's 
love.  It  was  here  that  our  Lord  predicted  Peter's  martyrdom,  and 
intimated  that  John  might  long  survive  him. 

S. — Did  not  our  Savior  meet  his  disciples  again  in  Galilee  ? 


468  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — Yes ;  he  met  them  on  a  mountain,  where  "  he  was  seen  by 
more  than  five  hundred  brethren  at  once.  After  that,  he  was  seen 
of  James;  then  of  all  the  Apostles"  (1  Cor.  xv.  6).  Our  Lord 
repeatedly  met  his  disciples  at  Jerusalem,  and  instructed  them  in 
things  pertaining  to  his  kingdom.  He  instituted  Christian  baptism 
— baptism  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  made  it  one  of  the  standing  ordinances  of  his  kingdom.  A^id 
whereas  he  had  formerly  restricted  them  in  their  ministry  to  the 
lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  he  now  greatly  enlarged  their 
commission :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature."  He  promised  to  aid  them  by  miraculous  powers 
and  gifts  as  long  as  these  should  be  needed,  and  to  be  with  them 
by  his  gracious  Spirit  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 

S. — When  the  forty  days  of  our  Lord's  continuance  on  the  earth 
were  ended,  and  the  time  of  his  ascension  had  come,  where  did  he 
meet  his  disciples  ? 

F. — He  met  them  in  Jerusalem,  and  led  them  out  over  the  brook 
Kedron,  by  the  same  path  in  which  they  went  the  night  before 
the  crucifixion.  And  when  they  came  to  Bethany,  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  mount  of  Olives,  he  lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed 
them.  And  it  came  to  pass  while  he  blessed  them,  that  he  was 
separated  from  them,  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their  sight. 
And  while  they  looked  steadfastly  towards  heaven,  suddenly  two 
angels  stood  beside  them  and  said,  "  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand 
ye  here  gazing  towards  heaven  ?  This  same  Jesus,  which  has  been 
taken  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye 
have  seen  him  go  into  heaven."  And  the  disciples  worshiped 
him,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy.  They  spent  most 
of  the  time,  for  the  next  eight  or  ten  days,  in  united  prayer, 
waiting  for  the  promised  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

S. — It  seems  that  our  Savior's  appearances,  after  his  resurrec- 
tion, were  confined  to  his  disciples  and  friends.  Why  did  he  not 
appear  to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  and  convince  them  all  at  once  of 
his  resurrection,  and  consequent  Messiahshiip  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  469 

F. — I  iiuiy  answer  this  question  by  asking  another :  Why  does 
not  Christ  appear  now  in  celestial  glory,  and  substantiate  his 
Divinity  and  his  Messiahship  at  once  and  forever  ?  I  can  conceive 
of  two  reasons  why  Christ  did  not  appear  to  his  enemies  after 
his  resurrection.  In  the  first  place,  they  were  not  in  a  state  of 
mind  to  be  convinced  by  any  amount  of  evidence  which  he  could 
consistently  afford  them.  They  had  perverted  all  the  evidence 
which  had  been  given  them  during  his  life  ;  had  charged  him  with 
blasphemy  ;  had  ascribed  his  miracles  to  Beelzebub ;  had  procurect 
his  murder ;  had  imprecated  his  blood  upon  themselves  and  their 
children ;  and  in  these  ways  had  proved  themselves  to  be  incorrig- 
ible. If  Christ  had  appeared  to  them  after  his  resurrection,  they 
would  have  called  him  a  spectre,  an  illusion,  a  demon,  anything 
rather  than  the  risen  Messiah.  Hence,  secondly,  these  Jews  had 
reached  the  point,  or  many  of  them  had, — of  judicial  abandon- 
ment. God  had  said  of  them,  Let  them  alone.  They  had  been 
given  over  to  hardness  of  heart  and  blindness  of  mind,  and  no 
further  means  of  instructon  or  conviction  were  to  be  wasted  upon 
them. 

I  have  now  presented  you  with  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of 
Christ — the  briefest  possible  that  should  contain  a  connected 
account  of  the  facts  of  his  history — and  what  will  you  say  of  it  ? 

S. — I  trust  we  are  all  ready  to  say,  in  review,  A  wonderful 
life !  a  Divine  life !  fully  attesting  his  high  claims  to  be  the  Son 
of  God, and  the  Savior  of  the  world!  I  trust  it  may  be  our  daily 
and  constant  study.  Most  certainly  it  can  never  grow  old  to  us. 
It  can  never  be  pondered  but  with  interest  and  profit.  The 
Lord  help  us  thus  to  study  it ;  and  so  doing,  may  we  drink  deep  of 
the  spirit  of  Clirist,  grow  into  his  image  and  likeness,  and  thus  be 
preparing  for  his  everlasting  kingdom. 


CONVERSATION  lY. 

THE  NEW  DISPENSATION.— The  old  and  the  uew.— The  church  under  each.— Dif- 
ferent dispensations. — Commencement  of  the  new. — Who  comprised  the  church  at  the 
time  of  Christ's  death. — Tlie  Pentecost. — Clianging  the  day  of  rest  or  Sabbath. — Rea- 
sons of  the  change. — The  form  of  admitting  new  members  into  the  church. — Acts  of 
the  Apostles. 

Son. — Has  the  church  of  God  been  the.  same  body  under  the 
several  dispensations  ? 

Father. — It  has.  "  Mj  dove,  my  undefiled  is  but  one ;  she  is 
the  only  one  of  her  mother."  Pious  persons  in  every  age  have 
not  only  possessed,  but  professed,  the  same  true  religion,  and  have 
been  members  of  the  same  church  of  the  livincr  God.  Ricfhteous 
Abel  belonged  to  the  same  church  with  Abraham,  and  Abraham 
to  the  same  with  Moses,  and  Moses  to  the  same  with  Peter,  John, 
and  Paul,  and  they  to  the  same  with  Christians  now.  The  dispen- 
sations have  changed,  but  the  church  has  remained  the  same. 

S. — Under  what  dispensations  has  the  church  of  God  existed  ? 

F. — The  earliest  dispensation  was  the  Patriarchal.  This  was 
succeeded  by  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  which  commenced  at  Sinai, 
at  the  giving  of  the  law ;  and  continued  till  the  gospel  dispen- 
sation was  ushered  in.  Yet,  under  all,  as  J  said,  the  church 
has  remained  one  and  the  same.  Christ  came  to  furge  his  floor, 
not  to  destroy  it.  According  to  his  own  prediction  (Matt.  viii.  11), 
the  Gentiles  were  gathered  into  the  same  kingdom  or  church  from 
which  the  unbelieving  Jews  were  ejected.  They  were  grafted  into 
the  same  olive  tree,  from  which  the  Jews  were  broken  off  (Rom. 
xi.  17). 

*S'. — Did  the  gospel  dispensation  commence  at  the  coming  ot 
Christ,  or  at  his  death  ? 

F. — It  commenced  at  his  death.  Our  Savior  observed  all  the 
rites  of  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  and  enjoined  them  upon  others. 
"  Go  thy  way,"  said  he  to  the  cleansed  leper,  "  show  thyself  to 
the  priest,  and  offer  the  gift  which  Moses  commanded  for  a  testi- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  471 

mony  unto  tlieni  "  (Matt.  viii.  4).  Then  tlie  bloody  rites  of  the 
Mosaic  dispensation  lost  none  of  their  significance,  until  the  death 
of  Christ.  They  were  as  significant  and  as  necessary,  the  year, 
the  month,  the  day  before  the  crucifixion,  as  they  had  been  in  the 
days  of  Moses  or  of  Samuel.  Hence  we  find  it  expressly  stated 
by  the  Apostle  Paul,  that  the  ordinances  of  the  Mosaic  dispensa- 
tion terminated,  not  at  the  birth  of  Christ,  nor  at  the  commence- 
ment of  his  public  ministry,  but  at  his  death.  "Blotting  out 
the  hand-writing  of  ordinances  that  was  contrary  to  us,  and  took 
it  out  of  the  wa}^  nailing  it  to  his  cross  "  (Col.  ii.  14).  It  was  on 
the  cross,  then,  that  the  rites  of  the  old  dispensation  were  taken 
out  of  the  way.  It  was  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross  which  removed 
their  significancy  and  necessity ;  and  when  these  were  gone,  and 
there  was  no  farther  use  for  them,  they  ceased  to  be  binding,  and 
ere  long  ceased  to  be  observed. 

S. — Who  constituted  the  visible  church  which,  at  the  death  of 
Christ,  passed  over  from  the  old  dispensation  to  the  new  ? 

^.  — Not  the  whole  body  of  the  Jewish  nation  which  had  con- 
stituted the  visible  church  up  to  this  time.  For  their  unbelief  and 
rejection  of  Christ,  this  people,  or  the  mass  of  them,  were  cut  erff. 
As  the  idolatrous  world  was  abandoned  at  the  calling  of  Abraham, 
and  the  visible  church  thenceforth  was  confined  to  his  family,  so  the 
great  body  of  Abraham's  descendants  were  now  rejected,  and  the 
visible  church  was  confined  to  the  faithful  few,  who  had  followed 
Christ  in  the  regeneration,  and  adhered  to  him  through  the  dark 
period  of  his  sufferings  and  death.  The  hour  of  Christ's  death, 
then,  was  the  time  of  the  great  excision,  when  the  floor  of  the  visi- 
ble church  was  purged,  when  the  stock  of  the  good  olive  was 
pruned  almost  to  utter  nakedness,  preparatory  to  the  reception  of 
new  and  better  branches.  The  faithful  few  who  adhered  to  Christ 
through  the  period  of  his  trial,  and  thus  proved  themselves  to  be 
his  disciples  in  deed  and  in  truth, — these  Avere  they  who  bridged 
the  gulf  of  separation ;  who  passed  over  from  the  old  dispensation 
to  the  new ;  and  who,  subsequent  to  the  resurrection,  constituted 


472  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  church  of  God  on  earth.  Here  were  the  eleven  apostles  ;  here 
were  Christ's  faithful  female  friends — "  last  at  the  cross,  and  first  at 
the  sepulchre."  The  whole  number  of  names,  we  read  in  one  place, 
was  a  hundred  and  twenty.  On  another  occasion,  there  seem  to 
have  been  five  hundred.  We  nowhere  read  of  a  larger  number 
than  this.  These,  then,  at  the  first,  constituted  the  church  of  the 
new  dispensation.  They  were  the  nucleus,  about  which  the  Chris- 
tian world  was  now  to  gather,  and  into  which  converted  Jews  and 
Gentiles  were  about  to  be  received. 

S. — Why  were  not  these  five  hundred  Christian  brethren  and 
sisters,  more  or  less,  baptized  with  Christian  baptism,  and  formally 
admitted  to  the  church  of  Christ  ? 

F. — They  were  members  of  the  church  already.  They  had  never 
been  exscinded.  They  were  church-members  under  the  former  dis- 
pensation ;  and  when  all  the  rest  were  cut  off  for  their  unbelief, 
these  alone  remained.  Of  course,  they  did  not  need  to  be  taken 
into  the  church,  they  were  never  out  of  it.  They  had  received  the 
seal  of  the  church-covenant  under  the  former  dispensation,  and 
needed  not  to  have  it  repeated  under  the  new.  But  when  the  un- 
believing, exscinded  Jews  began  to  be  converted,  they,  being  out  of 
the  church,  must  be  taken  into  it,  and  must  receive  the  initiatory 
rite  of  baptism.  The  Apostles  understood  this  matter  and  bap- 
tized all  those  who  were  received  at  the  Pentecost,  and  on  subse- 
quent occasions.  And  though  many  of  these,  undoubtedly,  had 
been  baptized  by  John,  this  made  no  difference.  John's  baptism 
was  a  mere  preparatory  rite  ;  it  was  not  Christian  baptism ;  and 
when  any  were  received  to  the  Christian  church,  whether  Jews  or 
Gentiles,  they  must  be  baptized. 

S. — How  long  was  it  from  the  Passover,  when  Christ  was  cruci- 
fied, to  the  Pentecost? 

F. — It  was  fifty  days.  Hence  the  name  Pentecost.,  from  the 
Latin  Fentecosta,  fifty. 

S. — How  much  of  this  time  remained,  after  the  ascension  of 
Christ  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  473 


F. — Between  the  ascension  and  the  Pentecost,  there  must  have 
been  some  seven  or  eight  clays.  This  time  the  disciples  spent  in 
earnest  and  united  prayer,  imploring,  with  one  accord,  the  descent 
of  the  blessed  Comforter,  which  their  Divine  Master  had  promised 
to  bestow. 

*S'. — How  was  the  Pentecost  ushered  in  ? 

F. — When  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come,  and  the  disciples 
were  assembled  in  their  usual  place  of  meeting  (which  I  suppose 
was  one  of  the  porches  or  chambers  about  the  temple),  suddenly 
the  Holy  Spirit  came  upon  them  like  a  rushing,  mighty  wind,  fill- 
ing all  the  place  where  they  were  sitting,  and  filling  each  of  their 
hearts  with  light  and  love.  It  was  attended,  also,  with  miraculous 
appearances  and  gifts;  for  there  appeared  in  the  room  pointed,  glit- 
tering, lambent  flames,  in  shape  like  tongues  of  fire,  and  they  set- 
tled on  the  heads  of  each  of  the  Apostles ;  and  immediately  they 
began  to  speak  with  other  tongues — in  languages  which  they  had 
never  learned — as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance. 

Jerusalem  was  at  this  time  filled  with  people — Jews  speaking  dif- 
ferent languages  from  the  surrounding  countries,  who  had  come 
together  to  celebrate  the  Pentecost;  so  when  the  strange  occur- 
rences in  the  Apostles'  meeting  came  to  be  known,  many  rushed  in 
there  to  see  and  hear  for  themselves ;  and  they  were  all  amazed  and 
confounded  to  hear  these  unlettered  Galileans  speaking  the  lan- 
guages of  the  nations  round  about,  and  publishing  forth,  in  all,  the 
Avonderful  works  of  God. 

*S'. — How  did  the  unbelieving  Jews  undertake  to  explain  these 
strange  appearances  ? 

F. — Not  knowing  what  else  to  make  of  them,  and  determined  to 
turn  them,  if  possible,  to  the  discredit  of  the  Apostles,  some  insisted 
that  they  must  be  intoxicated.  But  Peter,  standing  up  in  the 
midst,  refuted  this  slander  in  few  words.  Pie  then  went  on  to 
preach  to  the  people  a  long  and  pointed  discourse,  in  which  he  ex- 
plained to  them  the  nature  and  cause  of  the  strange  appearances 
they  had  witnessed.     This  was  no  other  than  an  outpouring  of  the 


474  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Holy  Spirit,  in  fulfillment  of  an  ancient  prediction  of  the  prophet 
Joel.  It  was  a  fulfillment  also  of  an  express  promise  of  Christ,  who 
had  been  crucified  and  slain,  but  whom  God  had  raised  from  the 
dead,  and  taken  up  visibly  into  heaven ;  of  which,  said  he,  "  we  all 
are  witnesses."  He  proceeded  to  show  that  this  same  Jesus  was 
the  promised  Messiah,  and  that  they  had  been  guilty  of  crucifying 
the  Lord  from  heaven. 

S. — How  were  the  hearers  of  Peter  affected  by  his  sermon  ? 

F. — They  were  "pricked  to  the  heart."  Their  hearts  began  to 
bleed  and  melt  under  a  sense  of  guilt,  and  they  cried  out  in  bitter- 
ness of  soul,  "  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ?  "  To  this 
inquiry  Peter  made  answer  :  "  Repent  and  be  baptized  every  one  of 
you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins ;  and  ye 
shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  The  people  complied 
with  this  direction  on  the  spot ;  and  the  same  day  there  were  added 
to  the  little  company  of  disciples  no  less  than  three  thousand  souls. 

S. — On  Avhat  day  of  the  week  did  this  great  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  occur? 

F. — It  occurred  on  the  first  day  of  the  week — that  which  was 
afterwards  called  the  Lord's  day.  The  Pentecost  always  occurred 
on  the  first  day  of  the  Jewish  week.  Our  Savior  honored  and  set 
apart  the  first  day  of  the  week  by  his  resurrection  from  the  dead ; 
he  further  honored  it  by  his  repeated  appearances  on  this  day  subse- 
quent to  his  resurrection ;  and  now  he  put,  if  possible,  a  still  higher 
honor  upon  it,  by  pouring  out  his  Spirit  on  this  day,  and  gathering 
in  the  first  fruits  of  the  Christian  harvest. 

S. — It  is  said  of  the  disciples  at  this  time  that  "  they  sold  their 
possessions,  and  parted  to  all  men  as  every  one  had  need."  They 
"  had  all  things  common."     Why  was  this  ? 

F. — This  measure  was  partly  one  of  necessity,  showing,  at  the 
same  time,  their  abounding  liberality.  Many  of  these  new  disciples 
were  strangers  in  Jerusalem,  drawn  together  to  celebrate  the  feast. 
Probably  the  greater  part  of  them  were  not  residents  in  the  city. 
They  were  thrown  together  in  providence,  and  drawn  together  by 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  A75 

the  cord  of  Cliristiau  love.  They  felt  as  tliongh  they  could  not  be 
separated,  at  least  for  the  present.  But  how  were  they  to  subsist? 
How  are  they  to  be  supported  ?  These  questions  were  readily 
answered.  Let  us  put  all  our  property  into  a  common  stock,  and 
live  upon  it  as  long  as  it  lasts  ;  when  it  is  gone,  the  Lord  will  pro- 
vide. It  is  very  certain  that  this  mode  of  living  was  never  designed 
to  be  perpetuated  in  the  church.  It  came  in,  for  a  time,  as  a  meas- 
ure of  necessity ;  and  when  the  necessity  ceased,  it  passed  away. 

S. — What  was  the  most  noticeable  event  in  their  history  at  this 
time  ? 

F. — It  was  the  healing  of  the  lame  man  at  the  gate  of  the  temple. 
This  excited  much  attention,  and  led  to  many  inquiries  among  the 
people ;  in  replying  to  which  Peter  was  led  to  deliver  another  of 
his  stirring  discourses.  He  charged  home  upon  the  Jews,  as  he  did 
before,  the  guilt  of  rejecting  and  murdering  the  Lord,  and  con- 
cluded by  solemnly  calling  them  to  repentance.  "  Repent  and  be 
converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out."  The  result  was, 
another  large  addition  to  the  church.  The  whole  number  had  now 
come  to  be  five  thousand. 

S. — How  were  the  Jewish  rulers  affected  by  this  large  accession 
to  the  number  of  the  disciples? 

F. — They  were  aroused  to  new  methods  of  opposition.  They 
had  hoped  that  the  death  of  Jesus  would  effectually  scatter  and  dis- 
comfit his  followers;  but  they  were  preaching,  working  miracles, 
and  making  many  proselytes ;  and  something  must  be  done  to  stop 
them.  So  they  arrested  Peter  and  John,  j)ut  them  in  prison,  and 
brought  them  before  the  council  for  examination.  At  their  exami- 
nation, Peter  addressed  the  rulers  of  his  nation  in  the  boldest,  plain- 
est manner.  He  asserted  the  resurrection  and  ascension  of  Christ, 
together  with  his  Divine  authority  and  power,  and  proclaimed 
him  the  only  Savior  of  lost  men.  The  rulers  were  puzzled  to 
know  what  to  do  with  their  prisoners.  They  had  committed  no 
offense  against  the  laws,  and  they  were  in  great  favor  with  the  peo- 
ple.    They  concluded,  therefore,  to  threaten  them,  and  let  them  gc 


476  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — In  the  midst  of  their  great  prosperity,  what  heavy  trial  came 
upon  the  apostolic  church  ? 

F. — It  was  the  detected  hypocrisy  and  death  of  two  of  their  own 
number.  Ananias  and  Sapphira  had  drifted  into  the  church  on  the 
high  tide  of  the  Pentecost  revival,  without  having  the  selfishness 
of  their  hearts  subdued ;  and  yet  they  wished  to  stand  well  with 
the  disciples,  and  keep  up  the  appearance  of  being  as  liberal  as  any 
of  them.  So  when  they  saw  others  selling  their  land,  and  laying 
the  price  of  it  at  the  Apostles'  feet,  they  concluded  to  do  the  same. 
They  sold  their  land,  and  brought  a  part  of  the  proceeds  to  the 
Apostles,  pretending,  at  the  same  time,  to  have  brought  it  all. 
And  here  was  their  error  and  their  sin.  They  w^ere  not  obliged  to 
sell  their  land,  unless  they  chose  ;  and  when  they  had  sold  it,  they 
might  have  retained  the  whole  price  of  it,  or  any  part  of  the  price, 
in  their  own  hands,  if  they  pleased.  But  they  deceived  and  lied 
about  it.  They  wished  to  have  the  credit  of  giving  up  all,  when, 
in  fact,  they  kept  back  a  part.  But  the  lie  was  instantly  detected, 
and  they  were  struck  down  dead  for  their  sin.  An  awful  example 
to  the  infant  church  of  the  guilt  and  danger  of  hypocrisy!  An 
awful  warning  to  those  who  saw  it  then,  who  have  since  read  of  it, 
or  ever  will  read  of  it  to  the  end  of  the  world,  to  be  afraid  of 
sinning  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  tempting  the  Almighty,  in 
similar  ways !  • 


CONVERSATION  V. 

THE  APOSTOLIC  CHURCH.— How  it  was  formed.— Deacons  appointed  and  their 
duties. — Vision  of  Stephen. — His  cruel  death. — Persecution  of  the  Christians. — Saul  of 
Tarsus. — Scattering  abroad. — Spread  of  the  gospel. — Laying  on  of  hands. — Saul's  con- 
version.— Peter  raises  Ljdia  from  the  dead. — Peter  in  prison. 

Son. — The  Apostles  had  been  once  called  to  an  account  and  cast 
into  prison  by  the  Jewish  rulers :  Were  they  imprisoned  again  ? 

Father. — They  were ;  but  the  angel  of  the  Lord  opened  their 
prison  doors  by  night,  brought  them  out,  and  said  unto  them,  "  Go, 
stand  in  the  temple  and  preach  to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this 
life."  They  did  so ;  and  when  the  rulers  called  for  them  the  next 
day,  instead  of  finding  them  in  prison,  they  found  them  engaged 
in  their  old  work  of  preaching  the  gospel.  They  summoned  them 
to  a  trial,  and  perhaps  might  have  punished  them  ;  but  Gamaliel,  a 
celebrated  doctor  of  the  Jewish  law,  dissuaded  them  from  it :  "  Re- 
frain from  these  men,  and  let  them  alone  ;  for  if  this  counsel  or 
this  work  be  of  men,  it  will  come  to  naught ;  but  if  it  be  of  God, 
3'e  cannot  overthrow  it,  lest  haply  ye  be  found  to  fight  even  against 
God."  This  good  advice  was  heeded  by  the  rulers  ;  and  so,  with 
another  charge  to  stop  their  preaching,  the  Apostles  were  dis- 
missed. 

S. — Please  tell  us  under  what  circumstances  the  first  deacons 
were  appointed. 

F. — The  Apostles  had  much  to  do  in  distributing  supplies 
from  the  common  stock,  and  in  caring  for  the  poor ;  and  after  all 
their  efforts,  entire  satisfaction  was  not  given.  There  was  a  mur- 
muring of  the  foreign  Jews  against  the  Hebrews,  because  their 
widows  were  neglected  in  the  daily  ministration.  Wherefore  the 
Apostles  called  the  church  together,  and  said:  "It  is  not  meet 
that  we  should  leave  the  word  of  God  and  serve  tables.  Choose 
you,  therefore,  seven  men  of  honest  report,  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
and  of  faith,  whom  we  may  appoint  over  this  business  ;  but  we 
will    give    ourselves   to    prayer,   and   to   the  ministering  of   the 


478  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

word."  This  suggestion  was  accepted,  the  seven  deacons  were 
appointed,  and  solemnly  consecrated  to  their  work  by  the  imposi- 
tion of  hands  and  prayer. 

S. — The  most  distinguished  of  these  deacons  was  Stephen : 
Please  give  us  some  account  of  him. 

F. — Stephen  was  a  foreign  Jew,  and  had  frequent  disputes  with 
unbelievers  in  the  synagogue  of  the  foreign  Jews.  And  they, 
being  unable  to  withstand  him  in  argument,  undertook  to  destroy 
his  life.  They  arraigned  him  before  the  Sanhedrim  on  the  charge 
of  having  spoken  blasphemous  words  against  Moses,  and  against 
God.  In  his  defense,  Stephen  delivered  a  long  and  eloquent  dis- 
course, sketching  the  history  of  God's  dealings  with  the  Israelitish 
nation  in  ancient  times,  that  he  might  overcome  prejudice,  and 
better  introduce  his  testimony  in  favor  of  Christ.  The  Jewish 
rulers  heard  him  for  a  time,  but  at  length,  becoming  impatient, 
they  interrupted  him,  and  brought  his  address  to  a  sudden  close  : 
"  Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncircumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye."  Hearing 
this,  the  Jews  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  gnashed  upon  Stephen 
with  their  teeth.  But  he,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  looked  up 
steadfastly  into  heaven,  and  said:  "Behold,  I  see  the  heavens 
opened,  and  Jesus  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  God."  Then  the 
Jews  cried  out  "  Blasphemy  K"  with  a  loud  voice,  and  ran  upon 
him  with  one  accord,  and  thrust  him  out  of  the  city,  and  stoned 
him.  So  Stephen  died,  like  his  Divine  Master,  with  the  language 
of  forgiveness  and  supplication  on  his  lips,  "Lord,  lay  not  this  sin 
to  their  charge." 

S. — Where  w\as  Pilate  at  this  time,  and  what  authority  had  the 
Jews  to  put  any  one  to  death,  without  his  consent  ? 

F. — I  answer,  that  Stephen  may  have  died  in  a  popular  tumult, 
without  the  regular  forms  of  law  ;  or  Pilate  may  have  been,  at 
the  time,  absent  from  Jerusalem  ;  or  (what  is  more  probable)  he 
may  have  given  a  general  license  to  persecute  and  destroy  the 
Christians.     Having  put  their  master  to  death,  he  may  have  given 


I 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  481 

a  general  license  to  the  Jewish  rulers  to  treat  his  followers  as  they 
pleased. 

S. — Were  any  other  of  the  disciples  put  to  deatli,  at  this  time, 
except  Stephen  ? 

F. — Yes,  there  was  a  great  and  general  persecution,  in  which 
Saul  of  Tarsus  was  particularly  active.  The  witnesses  who  ac- 
cused Stephen,  and  afterwards  stoned  him,  laid  down  their  clothes 
at  the  feet  of  Saul.  It  is  said  that  "  he  made  havoc  of  the 
church,"  entering  into  the  houses  of  Christians,  and  committing 
many  of  them  to  prison,  and  when  they  were  f)ut  to  death,  he 
gave  his  voice  against  them.  But  this  persecution,  though  most 
maliciously  intended,  and  wickedly  executed,  was  over-ruled  for 
the  furtherance  of  the  gospel.  Up  to  this  time,  the  Christian 
community  had  clung  together  at  Jerusalem.  They  were  unwill- 
ing to  be  separated.  But  God  designed  that  they  should  be  sep- 
arated ;  and  he  over-ruled  this  bitter  persecution  for  this  very 
purpose.  The  apostles  still  resided  for  the  most  part  at  Jerusa- 
lem ;  but  the  members  of  the  church  were  scattered  abroad.  And 
Avherever  they  went,  they  carried  the  gospel  with  them.  "  They 
went  forth  everywhere  preaching  the  word." 

S. — And  what  was  the  effect  of  their  preaching? 

F. — Their  labors,  we  know,  were  greatly  blessed.  Almost 
immediately,  we  begin  to  hear  of  little  communities  of  Christians  in 
all  the  principal  cities  of  Palestine  and  Syria.  The  success  of 
one  of  these  first  missionaries  was  so  considerable  that  inspiration 
has  recorded  it.  Philip,  one  of  the  seven  deacons,  but  who  soon 
became  an  evangelist,  went  down  to  Samaria  and  preached  Christ 
there.  The  Samaritans  were  at  this  time  greatly  interested  in 
the  performances  of  one  Simon,  a  magician,  who  pretended  to 
work  miracles,  and  to  be  the  great  power  of  God.  But  when 
Philip  came  among  them,  and  preached  the  gospel,  and  performed, 
not  magical  tricks,  but  real  miracles^  they  all  forsook  Simon,  and 
gathered  round  the  Evangelist.  Soon, there  was  a  great  revival  of 
religion,  and  many  were  baptized.     Even  Simon  himself   professed 

30 


482  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

to  be  a  believer,  received  baptism,  and  continued  with  Philip, 
beholding  the  signs  and  miracles  which  were  done. 

S. — When  the  Apostles  heard  of  this  revival  at  Samaria,  what 
did  the  J  do  ? 

F. — They  sent  Peter  and  John  to  assist  Philip,  and  to  do  for 
the  new  converts,  what  Philip  could  not  do, — to  lay  their  hands  on 
them,  and  impart  the  miraculous  influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
This  gift  could  be  imparted  by  the  laying  on  of  the  Apostles' 
hands,  and  in  no  other  way.  Others  wrought  miracles  in  the 
Apostolic  age,  but  none  except  the  Apostles  could  impart  the  gift. 
And  this  was  that  which  Simon  the  sorcerer  wanted  to  buy, — not 
the  power  of  working  miracles,  but  the  apostolical  power  of  impart- 
ing the  gift.  "  Give  me  also  this  power,  that  on  whomsoever  I  lay 
my  hands,  he  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost."  His  preferring  such  a 
request  as  this,  accompanied  with  the  offer  of  money,  was  what 
revealed  the  secret  of  his  character,  and  led  Peter  to  say,  with 
mingled  emotions  of  indignation  and  scorn,  "  Thy  money  perish 
with  thee  !  Thou  hast  neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  matter,  for  thy 
heart  is  not  right  in  the  sight  of  God." 

S. — When  a  church  had  been  established  at  Samaria,  what  was 
Philip  directed  to  do  ? 

F. — He  must  go  and  meet  the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  and  preach  the 
gospel  of  salvation  to  him.  The  eunuch  was  soon  convinced,  con- 
verted and  baptized,  and  returned  to  the  court  of  his  royal  mistress 
rejoicing.  Philip  turned  his  feet  northward,  and  preached  in  all 
the  cities  till  he  came  to  Caesarea. 

S. — Was  the  persecution  still  in  progress  at  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — It  was ;  Saul  was  still  pursuing  his  bloody  work  there.  Nor 
was  he  satisfied  to  confine  his  efforts  to  the  holy  city ;  but  hearing 
that  there  were  Christians  at  Damascus,  he  went  to  the  high  priest, 
and  desired  of  him  letters  to  the  s5magogues  at  Damascus,  that, 
if  any  of  the  hated  sect  were  secreted  there,  he  might  bring  them 
bound  to  Jerusalem. 

S. — What  was  Saul's  experience  on  his  journey  to  Damascus  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  483 

F. — As  lie  approached  the  city,  suddenly  there  shone  about  Iiim 
a  light  from  heaven,  before  which  he  was  instantly  struck  blind  and 
prostrated.  And  then  he  heard  a  voice  crying  in  his  ear,  "  Saul, 
Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ? "  And  Saul  astonished  asked, 
"Who  art  thou,  Lord?"  And  the  Lord  said,  '■'■  I  am  Jesus  ivJiom 
thou  perseciitesty  And  now  if  a  thunderbolt  had  struck  the  pros- 
trate persecutor,  he  could  not  have  been  more  confounded.  He 
saw,  at  once,  what  he  had  been  doing.  He  saw  that  this  Jesus  was 
really,  what  he  claimed  to  be,  the  jNlessiah  of  tile  Scriptures,  whom 
he  had  been  madl}-  persecuting  in  his  followers.  He  saw  his  fear- 
ful guilt,  his  danger,  his  ruin,  and  he  seems  to  have  submitted  to  his 
Redeemer  at  once.  And  so  turning  to  him  the  eye  of  faith  (for  his 
natural  eje  was  for  the  time  extinguished)  he  said  to  him  in  accents 
of  love:  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  As  much  as  to 
say,  "  I  am  now  your  servant.  I  am  ready  to  do  anything.  Lord, 
wilt  thou  accept  me.     Lord,  what  wdlt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?  " 

S. — Where  was  Peter  at  this  time  ? 

F. — He  was  on  a  missionary  tour,  in  different  parts  of  Palestine. 
In  the  course  of  it  he  visited  Lydda,  a  town  lying  between  Jeru- 
salem and  Joppa.,  about  a  dozen  miles  from  the  latter  place.  Here 
he  healed  Eneas  of  a  palsy  which  had  confined  him  in  his  bed  eight 
years.  This  miracle  arrested  attention,  and  great  numbers  in 
Lydda  and  the  surrounding  country  were  converted. 

*S'. — What  j)ainful  event  occurred  at  this  time  in  Joppa? 

F. — A  beloved  female  disciple,  whose  name  was  Dorcas,  was 
taken  sick  and  died.  And  as  Lydda  was  nigh  to  Joppa.,  and  the 
bereaved  friends  had  heard  that  Peter  was  there,  the}'  sent  mes- 
sengers unto  him,  entreating  that  he  would  come  to  them.  So 
Peter  went  with  them  to  Joppa,  and  visited  the  family  of  the 
deceased  woman  ;  and  in  answer  to  his  prayer,  she  was  raised  from 
the  dead.  This  great  miracle  extended  still  farther  the  fame  of  the 
Apostle,  and  many  in  Joppa  turned  to  the  Lord. 

S. — While  Peter  remained  at  Joppa.,  what  new  revelation  was 
made  to  him  ? 


484  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — That  the  door  of  faith  was  opened  to  the  Gentiles.  The 
revelation  was  on  this  wise :  He  saw  in  vision  a  great  sheet  let 
down  from  heaven,  on  which  were  all  manner  of  beasts,  clean  and 
unclean,  and  creeping  things,  and  fowls  of  the  air ;  and  Peter  was 
astonished  to  hear  himself  commanded  to  eat  of  them  promiscuously 
— a  thing  which  he  had  never  done,  and  which  he  was  forbidden  to 
do  by  the  Jewish  law.  While  Peter  was  revolving  this  strange 
command,  he  received  a  message  from  Csesarea  which  threw  some 
light  upon  it,  and  helped  him  to  understand  it  aright.  There 
resided  at  Csesarea,  about  thirty  miles  off,  a  pious  military  officer, 
whose  name  was  Cornelius.  Though  still  a  Gentile,  he  had  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God,  and  was  a  devout  and  spiritual 
worshiper.  In  answer  to  his  prayers,  an  angel  had  appeared  to 
him,  who  directed  him  to  send  to  Jo'p'pa  for  Peter,  who  would 
come  and  instruct  him  in  the  gospel.  Accordingly  he  sent ;  and 
his  messengers  arrived  at  Joppa,  just  as  Peter  had  recovered  from 
Ziis  vision.  Putting  the  two  revelations  together,  Peter  could 
not  doubt  as  to  the  import  of  the  call,  or  as  to  his  duty.  He 
must  go  to  Cornelius,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles,  though 
in  so  doing,  he  might  contravene  some  of  the  precepts  of  the 
Jewish  law.  Accordingly  he  went  with  the  messengers  of  Cor- 
nelius, met  him  and  his  family,  and  preached  to  them  the  gospel ; 
and  as  he  was  speaking,  the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them,  as  it  did 
on  the  disciples  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  enabling  them  to  speak 
with  tongues,  and  to  perform  other  miraculous  works.  Then 
Peter  said,  "Can  any  man  forbid  water  that  these  should  not 
be  baptized,  who  have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  as  well  as  we  ? 
And  he  commanded  them  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus." 

Such  was  the  entrance  of  the  gospel  among  the  Gentiles — a  work 
which  shortly  spread,  under  the  auspices  of  the  converted  Saul  of 
Tarsus,  into  all  parts  of  the  Roman  world.  Peter  was  soon  called 
to  an  account  for  what  he  had  done  by  his  Jewish  brethren  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  but  when  he  had  expounded  the  whole  matter  to  them,  they 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  487 

joyfully  acquiesced,  saying,  "  Then  hath  God  granted  also  unto  the 
Gentiles  repentance  unto  life." 

S. — Where  was  the  gospel  next  preached  to  the  Gentiles  ? 

F. — In  the  great  city  of  Antioch,  where  many  believed  and  turned 
unto  the  Lord.  When  the  brethren  at  Jerusalem  heard  of  the 
revival  at  Antioch,  they  sent  thither  Barnabas,  a  man  full  of  faith 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should  go  and  assist  his  brethren. 
He  did  so,  and  had  great  encouragement  in  his  labors ;  but  finding 
the  work  too  great  for  him,  he  went  to  Tarsus,  and  secured  an 
efficient  helper  in  Saul — afterwards  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles. These  men  now  spent  a  whole  year  at  Antioch,  where  they 
gathered  a  flourishing  church,  and  taught  much  people  ;  and  the 
disciples  were  first  called  Christians  at  Antioch. 

>S'. — While  these  things  were  going  on  in  Syria,  what  was  the 
condition  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — Jerusalem  was  threatened  with  another  persecution.  Herod 
Agrippa,  a  grandson  of  Herod  the  great,  had  come  into  favor  with 
the  emperor  Claudius,  who  gave  him  the  entire  kingdom  of  his 
grandfather.  It  was  during  his  short  reign  that  "he  stretched  forth 
his  hand  to  vex  certain  of  the  church,  and  slew  James  the  brother  of 
John  with  the  sword."  And  finding  that  this  act  of  cruelty  pleased 
the  Jews,  he  next  proceeded  to  take  Peter  also.  And  when  he  had 
apprehended  him,  he  put  him  in  prison  under  charge  of  no  less  than 
sixteen  soldiers,  intending,  after  the  Passover,  to  bring  him  forth 
unto  the  people.  But  prayer  was  made  without  ceasing  of  the 
church  for  him ;  and  the  prayers  of  God's  people  prevailed.  For 
while  Peter  was  sleeping  between  two  soldiers,  bound  with  chains, 
and  the  keepers  of  the  prison  were  guarding  the  door,  an  angel  from 
God  appeared  in  the  prison,  awoke  the  Apostle,  knocked  off  his 
chains,  and  said  to  him,  "  gird  on  thy  sandals  and  follow  me."  So 
the  angel  led  him  forth  through  the  barred  gates,  and  guarded 
wards,  till  he  was  quite  at  liberty  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem.  Be- 
ing thus  miraculously  delivered,  Peter  wended  his  way  to  the  house 
of  one  of  the  sisters  of  the  church,  where  many  were  assembled  for 


488  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  purpose  of  prayer.  He  gained  access  to  the  meeting,  rehearsed 
the  story  of  his  deliverance,  commanded  them  to  go  and  tell  it  to 
the  other  Apostles,  and  then  retired  to  a  place  of  safety. 

We  shall  have  more  to  say  of  Peter  in  our  next  conversation. 


CONVERSATION  YI. 

LIVES  OF  THE  APOSTLES.— Petor.— Doctrines  of  the  Roman  church.— His  la- 
bors.— His  (Iciith  and  List  rociucst. — Andrew. — Brotlier  to  Peter. — His  character  and 
hibors. — Origin  of  St.  Andrew's  Cross. — James  the  elder. — Brother  of  John. — First  to 
suffer  martyrdom. — llomau  Traditions. — Philip. — First  called  by  Christ. — Supposed 
field  of  labor  and  deatii. — Nathanael. — Special  friend  of  Peter. — What  tradition  says 
of  him. — Matthew  wealthy. — Author  of  one  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament. — 
Thomas. — His  character. — Goes  to  Egypt  and  establishes  a  church  in  India. 

I.    PETEE. 

Son. — You  have  already  sketched  the  life  of  Peter,  until  his 
miraculous  deliverance  from  prison  and  from  death.  What  do  we 
hear  of  him  after  this  ? 

Father. — Very  little  in  the  sacred  history.  For  several  years  he 
seems  to  have  resided  mostly  at  Jerusalem.  Here  Paul  met  him 
when  he  went  from  Antioch  to  Jerusalem,  on  the  question  of  cir- 
cumcising the  Gentile  converts.  This  was  about  the  year  49 — 
fourteen  years  subsequent  to  the  conversion  of  Paul  (Gal,  ii.  11). 
It  was  at  this  time  that  Paul  received  from  Peter,  James  and 
John  the  right  hand  of  fellowship,  that  he  shotild  go  to  the 
heathen,  while  they  continued  to  labor  chiefly  among  the  Jews. 

Not  long  after  this,  we  find  Peter  at  Antioch,  where  he  dissem- 
bled, through  fear  of  the  Jews,  refused  to  associate  with  the  Gen- 
tile converts,  and  acted  contrary  to  the  decree  which  had  been 
passed  at  Jerusalem.  For  this  he  was  rebuked  by  his  brother 
Paul, — which  rebuke  he  received  in  a  Christian  manner,  being 
convinced,  no  doubt,  that  it  was  deserved. 

After  this,  he  spent  some  time  at  Corinth ;  for  when  this  church 
became  divided  respecting  its  ministers,  some  claimed  that  they 
were  of  Paul,  and  some  of  Apollos,  and  some  of  CVpAas — Peter., 
and  some  of  Christ  (1  Cor.  i.  12).  Still  later  in  life,  we  find  him 
at  Babylon — probably  New  Babylon  in  Assyria,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  which  many  Jews  had  resided,  ever  since  the  captivity. 
It  is  from  this  place  that  Peter  dates  his  first  epistle. 


490  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — Have  the  fathers  aught  to  say  of  the  later  hibors  of  Peter  ? 

F. — According  to  Origen,  Peter's  last  missionary  labors  were 
chiefly  with  the  dispersed  Jews  "  in  the  regions  of  Pontus,  Galatia, 
Bythinia,  Cappadocia  and  Asia."  And  this  agrees  with  the  repre- 
sentation of  Paul,  that  while  he  was  commissioned  to  go  to  the 
heathen,  Peter  was  the  Apostle  of  the  circumcision.  It  agrees, 
also,  with  the  representation  of  Peter  himself,  who  addresses  his 
first  Epistle  "  to  the  strangers,"  ^.  e.  foreign  Jews,  "  scattered 
throughout  Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia  and  Bythinia." 

S. — What  do  the  Roman  Catholics  teach,  respecting  Peter  ? 

F. — They  insist  that  he  resided  long  at  Rome,  and  Avas  the 
first  bishop  of  Rome ;  but  the  Scriptures,  instead  of  favoring 
this  supposition,  give  their  testimony  against  it.  Paul  wrote 
his  Epistle  to  the  Romans  about  the  year  57 — long  after  Peter, 
according  to  the  Papists,  had  become  bishop  of  that  church ;  3-et 
there  is  not  a  word  in  it  about  Peter,  nor  so  much  as  an  inti- 
mation that  he,  or  any  other  Apostle,  had  ever  been  there.  In  the 
last  chapter  of  this  Epistle,  Paul  sends  salutations  to  beloved 
Christian  friends  at  Rome,  mentioning  them  by  name,  and  stating 
a  variety  of  circumstances  respecting  them  ;  but  not  a  word  do 
we  find  respecting  Peter.  Two  or  three  years  later,  Paul  himself 
arrived,  a  prisoner,  at  Rome,  and  was  received-  with  great  favor  by 
the  church ;  but  still  no  mention  is  made  of  Peter.  Paul  dwelt 
two  whole  years  in  his  hired  house  at  Rome,  whence  he  wrote 
several  of  his  Epistles  to  the  churches ;  but  in  none  of  these 
Epistles  do  we  find  the  slightest  allusion  to  Peter.  In  view  of  all 
these  representations,  who  can  believe  that  up  to  Paul's  writing  of 
his  last  Epistle  from  Rome,  Peter  had  ever  resided  there, — much  less 
that  he  had  long  been  bishop  of  that  church  ? 

S. — Was  Peter  ever  a  bishop  anywhere  ? 

F. — No ;  he  was  an  Apostle,  not  a  bishop.  Not  only  are  these 
two  offices  not  the  same,  they  are  incompatible  one  with  the  other. 
An  Apostle  is  a  missionary,  a  minister  at  large,  one  Avho  has, — 
what  Paul  tells  us  he   had, — "the  care  of  all  the  churches."     A 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE  491 

bishop  lias,  or  should  liave,  a  pastoral  charge.  He  is  the  overseer 
of  a  particular  flock ;  he  is  confined,  in  his  attentions,  to  some 
particular  field  of  labor.  But  to  what  particular  fields  of  labor 
were  the  Apostles  severally  confined?  They  were  appointed, 
expressly,  that  they  might  be  witnesses  for  Christ,  "  in  Jerusalem, 
in  Judea,  in  Samaria,  and  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earths 
Peter  is  degraded  by  the  supposition  that,  from  being  a  distin- 
guished Apostle,  he  became  the  bishop  of  a  single  cit}^,  even 
though  that  city  were  Rome. 

aS'. — Was  Peter  ever  at  Rome  ? 

F. — We  have  no  certain  evidence  that  he  was ;  though  the 
probability  is  that  he  came  there,  or  was  carried  there,  a  little 
while  before  his  death.  The  testimony  of  the  ancient  church  is, 
that  he  was  crucified  at  Rome  in  the  persecution  under  Nero, 
about  the  year  Qb.  At  his  own  request,  he  was  crucified  head 
downwards. 

II.   ANDREW. 

S. — The  Apostle  Peter  had  a  brother  Andrew,  who  was  also  an 
Apostle.     How  much  do  we  know  respecting  him? 

F. — Andrew  became  a  follower  of  Christ  sooner  than  Peter. 
They  were  born  at  Bethsaida,  on  the  northern  shore  of  the  sea  of 
Galilee  ;  were  by  profession  fishermen ;  and  were  both  of  them  dis- 
ciples of  John  the  Baptist.  When  John  had  designated  Jesus  as 
the  Lamb  of  God,  who  should  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world, 
Andrew  at  once  commenced  following  him.  Shortly  after,  he 
found  his  brother  Simon,  and  brought  him  to  Christ;  and  hence- 
forward they  followed  the  Lamb  of  God  together.  During  the 
personal  ministry  of  Christ,  though  Andrew  was,  so  far  as  we 
know,  a  consistent  and  faithful  disciple,  still  we  hear  but  little  of 
him.  While  his  brother  Peter  was  naturally  forward,  talkative, 
impulsive,  Andrew  was  a  very  different  character.  He  was  a  silent 
witness  of  our  Savior's  miracles,  and  listener  to  his  instructions, 
and  received  no  sjiecial  tokens  of  his  Master's  affection  and  regard. 

*S'. — Where  was  he  after  the  ascension  of  Christ  ? 


492  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  doubtless  remained  for  a  time  at  Jerusalem,  as  all  the 
other  Apostles  did.  He  then  went  forth  to  publish  the  gospel ;  but 
the  ancients  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  field  of  his  labors.  Some 
think  that  he  went  into  Scythia ; — others,  with  more  probability, 
assign  him  to  different  points  in  Greece.  The  modern  Greeks  re- 
gard him  as  the  founder  of  the  church  at  Constantinople ;  but  of 
this  there  is  no  certain  proof.  The  story  is,  that  after  long  labor 
and  great  success  in  his  chosen  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  the 
nations,  he  was  crucified  at  Patrse,  a  city  of  Achaia,  by  ^geas,  the 
proconsul.  He  is  said  to  have  been  crucified  on  a  cross  in  the  form 
of  an  X ;  which,  from  this  circumstance,  was  called  St.  Andrew's 
cross. 

III.    JAMES,  THE  ELDEE. 

S. — There  were  two  Jameses  in  the  family  of  our  Lord,  the  elder 
and  the  junior,  or  the  greater  and  the  less.  What  can  you  tell  us 
of  the  elder  James? 

F. — The  elder  James,  Avho  was  the  son  of  Zebedee  and  brother 
of  John,  was  the  first  of  the  Apostles  who  suffered  martyrdom. 
He  was  slain  at  Jerusalem,  as  before  stated,  by  Herod  Agrippa, 
about  the  year  44. 

S. — Of  what  country  were  the  sons  of  Zebedee  ? 

F. — They  were  native  Galileans,  born  at  Capernaum,  or  Beth- 
saida.  Like  Andrew  and  Peter,  they  were  fishermen,  and  seem  to 
have  inherited  more  worldly  substance  than  the  rest  of  the  Apos- 
tles. John  had  a  home  at  Jerusalem,  to  which,  after  the  cruci- 
fixion, he  took  the  mother  of  our  Lord,  and  nourished  her  as  long 
as  she  lived.  James  and  John,  together  with  Peter,  were  among 
the  more  favored  disciples  of  Christ,  whom  he  called  "sons  of 
thunder,"  and  whom  he  admitted  to  a  peculiar  intimacy  and  priv- 
ileges. These  alone  were  allowed  to  go  with  him  when  he  raised 
the  daughter  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  when  he  went  into  the 
mount  of  transfiguration,  and  when  he  fell  into  that  dreadful  agony 
in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  These  sons  of  Zebedee,  though  true 
and  loving  disciples,  were  not  wholly  divested  of  a  worldly  spirit ; 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  493 

witness  the  request  of  their  motlier  for  them, — made,  no  doubt, 
with  their  concurrence, — that  they  might  sit,  the  one  on  liis  right 
hand,  and  the  other  on  his  left,  in  his  kingdom  ;  witness  also  their 
unchristian  proposal  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  upon  the  inhos- 
pitable Samaritans. 

>S'. — What  has  the  church  of  Rome  to  say  of  James  the  elder  ? 

F. — She  has  many  traditions  as  to  his  missionary  labors,  after  the 
ascension  of  Christ ;  but  we  have  no  proof  that  any  of  them  are 
true.  The  Apostles  lingered  about  Jerusalem  for  several  years 
after  the  crucifixion,  and  probably  James  was  with  them.  It  is  not 
likely  that  he  ever  traveled,  as  a  missionary,  out  of  Palestine.  He 
died  early,  as  I  said,  and  was  buried  at  or  near  Jerusalem.  The 
Romanists  pretend  that,  after  several  hundred  years,  his  remains 
were  disinterred  and  carried  into  Spain  ;  but  this  is  as  improbable 
as  most  of  their  other  legends. 

IV.    PHILIP. 

S. — There  were  two  Philips  among  the  early  followers  of  Christ, 
the  one  an  Apostle,  and  the  other  a  deacon — afterwards  an  evan- 
gelist :    How  much  is  known  of  Philip  the  Apostle  ? 

F. — He  was  born  at  Bethsaida,  the  city  of  Andrew  and  Peter, 
and  had  the  honor  to  be  the  first  who  was  expressly  called  to 
become  a  disciple  of  Christ.  Very  soon  he  finds  Nathaniel,  and 
invites  him  to  become  a  fellow  disciple.  From  this  time,  Philip 
was  a  steady  and  consistent  follower  of  Christ,  though  not  much  is 
said  of  him  in  the  gospels.  It  was  to  Philip  that  our  Lord  pro- 
pounded the  question,  when  surrounded  by  famishing  multitudes, 
"Whence  shall  we  buy  bread,  that  these  may  eat?"  (John  vi.  5). 
It  was  to  him  that  the  Grecian  Jews,  or  proselytes,  who  came  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  the  Passover,  addressed  themselves,  when  desiring  to 
see  Jesus  (John  xii.  21).  It  was  with  him  that  our  Lord  had  a 
discourse,  when  about  to  enter  on  his  scene  of  suffering :  "  Philip 
saith  unto  him,  Lord,  show  us  the  Father,  and  it  sufficeth  us. 
Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Have  I  been  so  long  time  with  vou,  and  yet 


494  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

hast  thou  not  known  me,  Philip  ?  He  that  hath  seen  me,  hath 
seen  the  Father"  (John  xiv.  8). 

S. — After  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  what  do  we  learn  respecting 
Philip  ? 

F. — The  probability  is,  that  he  remained  several  years  at  Jeru- 
salem with  the  other  Apostles.  And  when  he  departed,  we  have 
no  reliable  information  as  to  the  region  of  country  to  which  he 
withdrew.  It  is  generally  thought  that  he  visited  the  northern 
parts  of  Asia  Minor,  and  died  at  Hierapolis,  in  Phrygia.  Fables 
we  have  in  abundance  resjDecting  his  labors,  sufferings,  and  martyr- 
dom ;  but  they  were  got  up  at  too  late  a  period,  and  contain  too 
many  silly  stories,  to  be  worth  repeating. 

V.  NATHANAEL. 

S. — Nathanael  was  early  invited  to  become  a  follower  of  Christ : 
How  did  he  treat  the  invitation  ? 

F. — He  immediately  consented.  And  when  Jesus  saw  him  com- 
ing, he  said :  "  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile." 
Nathanael,  like  most  of  the  other  Apostles,  was  a  Galilean.  His 
home,  we  are  told,  was  at  Cana  of  Galilee  (John  xxi.  2).  Nathan- 
ael is  also  called  Bartholomew,  i.  e.  the  son  of  Tholomew,  and  is 
always  mentioned  in  connection  with  Philip,  indicating  that  they 
Avere  special  friends.  We  hear  little  of  this  Apostle  in  the  sacred 
history,  and  have  not  the  means  of  tracing  him,  with  certainty, 
after  the  dispersion  of  the  Apostles  from  Jerusalem.  Tradition 
says  that  he  traveled  as  far  as  the  hither  India,  and  left  there  a 
copy  of  Matthew's  Gospel,  which  was  found  long  after  by  a  mis- 
sionary. From  India  he  returned,  and  joined  his  friend  Philip,  at 
Hierapolis  in  Phrygia.  After  the  death  of  Philip,  he  passed  into 
Armenia,  where  he  laid  down  his  life. 

VI.    MATTHEW,   ALSO   CALLED   LEVI. 

*S'. — Where  was  the  home  of  Matthew  ? 

F. — It  was  at,  or  near  Capernaum  in  Galilee.     He  was  the  son  of 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  495 

Alpheus,  though  not  the  Alpheus  who  was  the  father  of  James  and 
Jude  (Matt.  ii.  14).  He  was  a  publican  or  tax-gatherer,  whose 
business  it  was  to  collect  and  pay  over  the  tribute-money  to  the 
governor.  These  publicans  were  peculiarly  odious  to  the  Jews, 
first,  because  they  were,  in  general,  rapacious  and  oppressive  ;  then 
the  tribute  itself,  being  a  token  of  subjection,  was  an  offense  to  the 
Jew ;  and,  thirdly,  their  office  brought  them  so  much  in  contact 
with  Gentiles,  that  a  strict  Jew  would  hardly  own  them  as  belong- 
ing to  his  people.  Hence,  to  the  ears  of  the  Jew,  "publicans  and 
sinners''  were  synonymous  terms,  and  they  were  regarded  as  the 
vilest  of  mankind.  Yet  Matthew,  though  a  native  Jew,  was  a  pub- 
lican. His  office  was  lucrative,  and  he  was  rich.  At  an  early  period 
in  his  public  ministry,  as  Jesus  walked  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  he  saw 
Matthew  sitting  in  his  office,  receiving  the  tribute  money  ;  and  he 
said  unto  him,  "  Folloiu  me.'"  And  MattheAV  rose  up  at  once,  left 
his  office,  his  monej'-changing,  his  worldly  business,  the  grand 
source  of  his  wealth  and  honor,  and  became  a  follower  of  Christ. 
We  have  hardly  an  instance  of  more  prompt  obedience,  and  of 
apparently  greater  self-denial,  in  the  Bible.  To  do  honor  to  the 
Savior,  and  show  that  he  was  not  dissatisfied  with  the  decision  to 
which  he  had  come,  he  invited  our  Lord  and  his  disciples  to  dine 
with  him,  in  company  with  several  of  his  own  profession.  At  this, 
the  Pharisees  were  offended,  and  gave  vent  to  their  pride  and  scorn 
by  saying,  "  How  is  it  that  he  eateth  with  publicans  and  sinners  ?  " 

S. — Do  we  hear  much  of  Matthew  during  our  Savior's  public 
ministry  ? 

F. — We  do  not.  After  the  resurrection  and  ascension  of  Christ, 
he  remained  for  a  time,  with  the  other  Apostles,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Jerusalem.  It  was  here  that  he  wrote  his  Gospel — the  first  that 
was  written.  The  tradition  is,  that  he  wrote  his  Gospel  in  Hebrew, 
and  that  it  was  early  translated  into  Greek.  I  cannot  go  into  this 
question  here,  nor  do  I  think  it  one  of  great  importance.  If  our 
Greek  copies  are  a  translation,  it  is  certain  that  the  translation  was 
made  under  the  eye  of  the  Apostles,  and  under  the  inspiration  of 


49G  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

the  Holy  Gliost.  There  was  a  Hebrew  copy  of  Matthew's  GosjDel 
among  the  early  Christians ;  but  this,  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
Ebionites,  and  being  by  them  garbled  and  interpolated,  lost  all 
credit  in  the  church. 

S. — Do  we  know  where  Matthew  traveled  after  leaving  Judea, 
and  Avhere  he  ended  his  days  ? 

F. — We  do  not.     Amidst  a  crowd  of  legendary  tales,  the  truth 

is  irrecoverably  lost. 

VII.     THOMAS. 

*S'. — Among  the  Apostles  of  Christ  was  Thomas,  also  called 
Did3nnus,  or  the  twin  :  What  can  you  say  of  him  ? 

F. — He  was  probably  a  Galilean  and  a  fisherman,  like  most  of  the 
other  Apostles,  though  of  this  we  are  not  certified  in  the  Scriptures. 
During  the  ministry  of  Christ,  Thomas  was  rather  a  listener  than 
an  active  speaker.  We  have  but  few  notices  of  him  in  the  Gospels. 
When  our  Savior  would  not  be  dissuaded  by  any  considerations  of 
personal  danger  from  going  into  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem  to  raise 
Lazarus  from  the  dead,  Thomas  said,  "  Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may 
die  with  him,''' — intimating  not  only  his  fears  for  the  safety  of  his 
Master,  but  that  he  was  willing  to  stand  by  him  to  the  end.  In  his 
parting  address  to  his  disciples,  our  Lord  assured  them  that  he  was 
going  to  prepare  a  place  for  them;  and  then  added,  "Whither  I 
go  ye  know,  and  the  way  ye  know."  Thomas  said  unto  him, 
"  Lord,  we  know  not  whither  thou  goest,  and  how  can  we  know  the 
way  ?  "  To  this  Jesus  answered,  "  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and 
the  life.     No  man  cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me." 

S. — After  the  resurrection,  what  do  we  hear  of  Thomas  ? 

F. — He  was  slow  to  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  even 
after  he  had  been  seen  by  the  other  Apostles.  "  Except  I  shall  see 
in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into  the  print 
of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  his  side,  I  will  not  believe." 
So  at  our  Lord's  next  appearance  to  his  disciples,  he  furnished 
Thomas  the  very  test  Avhich  he  had  required.  He  caused  him  to 
put  his  finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  to  thrust  his  hand  into 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  497 

his  side.  The  incredulity  of  Thomas  was  overcome,  and  he  could 
only  exclaim,  "  My  Lord  and  my  God !  " 

S. — Upon  the  dispersion  of  the  Apostles  from  Jerusalem,  where 
did  Thomas  go  ? 

F. — He  is  said  to  have  gone  into  the  East,  as  far  as  India.  There 
is  this  evidence  that  Thomas  did  preach  the  gospel  in  India,  that 
there  is  still  a  large  body  of  Christians  there  which  bear  his  name. 
The}'  were  found  by  the  Portuguese,  and  were  visited  by  Dr. 
Buchanan  early  in  the  present  century.  He  received  from  them 
a  copy  of  the  Syrian  Scriptures,  and  was  gratified  to  find  that  it 
agreed  almost  entirely  with  our  own.* 

*Buchanan's  Researches,  p.  186. 


CONVERSATION  YII. 

LIVES  OF  THE  APOSTLES  Continued.— Simon  Zelotes.— His  supposed  mission.— 
Jude.— His  labors  and  work  among  the  Gentiles.— Matthias.— Taken  in  place  of  Judas.— 
James  the  Less.— Claimed  to  be  a  brother  of  Christ.— Objections  to  this.— John.— His 
labors  and  travels. — Traditions. — Interesting  incident  in  his  life. 

VIII.    SIMON   ZELOTES. 

Son. — Why  was  Simon  called  Zelotes.^  or  the  Zealot? 

Father. — It  may  have  been  to  distinguish  him  from  Simon  Peter ; 
or  he  may  have  belonged,  before  conversion,  to  the  sect  of  Zealots — 
a  sect  which  became  very  troublesome  in  the  last  days  of  the  Jew- 
ish state.  He  is  also  called  the  Cananite  (not  Canaanite^,  a  word  of 
Hebrew  origin,  synonymous  with  Zealot.  He  was  undoubtedly  a 
Jew,  though  we  know  not  the  place  of  his  birth.  Being  invested 
with  the  apostolical  office,  no  further  mention  is  made  of  him  in  the 
apostolical  history.  Nor  do  we  know  what  parts  of  the  world  he 
visited  after  the  dispersion  of  the  Apostles.  Some  think  he  went 
into  Africa,  and  afterwards  to  Britain  and  the  Western  Islands ; 
others  tell  us  that  he  went  to  jNIesopotamia.  That  he  was  a  faith- 
ful, useful  man  we  have  no  reason  to  doubt ;  but  the  latter  part  of 
his  life,  so  far  as  reliable  history  is  concerned,  is  a  blank. 

IX.    JUDE. 

S. — With  whom  was  the  Apostle  Jude  connected  ? 

F. — The  Apostle  Jude, — also  called  Lebbeus  and  Thaddeus, — 
was  the  brother  of  James  the  Less  ;  and  both  were  the  sons  of 
Alpheus,  sometimes  called  Cleopas,  and  of  Mary,  a  sister  of  our 
Lord's  mother.  Cleopas,  according  to  Eusebius,  was  a  brother  of 
Joseph.  They  had  three  sons  whose  names  are  given  in  the 
gospels,  viz.,  James,  Joses  and  Jude.  Tradition  has  given  them 
another  son,  Simeon,  who  was  the  first  pastor  or  bishop  of  Jeru- 
salem. These  sons  were  cousins  of  our  Lord — perhaps  double 
cousins. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  499 

*S'. — Do  we  hear  inuch  of  Jiide  in  the  gospels? 

F. — We  do  not.  The  following  is  the  only  question  proposed  by 
Jude  to  his  jNIaster :  "  How  is  it  that  thou  wilt  manifest  thyself 
to  us,  and  not  unto  the  world  ?  "  Jesus  answered  him,  "  If  a  man 
love  me,  he  will  keep  my  Avords  ;  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and 
we  Avill  come  to  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him." 

S. — Upon  the  dispersion  of  the  Apostles,  where  did  Jude  go  ? 

F. — He  is  said  to  have  been  sent  to  Agbarus,  king  of  Edessa, 
where  he  wrought  miracles,  preached  the  gospel,  and  converted 
Agbarus  and  his  people  to  the  faith.  For  this,  the  king  offered 
him  a  large  reward,  wliich  he  refused,  saying,  that  he  had  no  occa- 
sion to  receive  from  others  what  he  had  long  before  relinquished  on 
his  own  behalf.  Jude  seems  to  have  had  a  family ;  for  near  the 
close  of  the  first  century,  two  of  his  grandsons  were  brought  before 
Domitian,  as  being  of  the  lineage  of  David,  from  which  stock  the 
emperor  feared  that  some  one  would  arise  claiming  to  be  king  of 
the  Jews.  But  wdien  he  saw  that  they  were  poor,  humble,  laboring 
men,  he  dismissed  his  fears  on  their  account,  and  sent  them  back  to 
their  own  country. 

S. — Is  Jude  the  author  of  the  Epistle  which  bears  his  name  ? 

F. — He  is.  The  genuineness  of  this  Epistle  was  doubted  by  some 
in  the  ancient  church,  but  we  see  no  good  reason  for  it.  Its  princi- 
pal design  is  to  expose  certain  enemies  of  the  truth, — "  ungodly 
men,  who  had  crept  into  the  churches  unawares,  turning  the  grace 
of  God  into  lasciviousness,  and  denying  tlie  only  Lord  God  and  our 

Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

X.    MATTHIAS. 

S. — Matthias  was  not  an  original  Apostle,  but  was  divinely  desig- 
nated to  take  the  place  of  Judas  Iscariot :  Please  give  us  some 
account  of  that  transaction. 

F. — His  appointment  w^as  one  of  the  first  acts  of  the  assembled 
Apostles,  after  their  return  from  the  ascension  of  Christ.  We 
have  a  succinct  account  of  the  whole  transaction,  with  the 
reasons  and  the  manner  of  it,  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Acts.     It 

31 


500  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

appears  that  Matthias,  though  not  before  an  Apostle,  was  one  of 
those  who  had  companied  with  the  disciples  during  the  whole  public 
ministry  of  Christ,  and  consequently  was  a  most  suitable  person  to 
be  ordained,  with  the  other  Apostles,  to  be  a  witness  for  him.  He 
was  designated  to  this  high  office  by  lot,  and  afterwards  was  num- 
bered with  the  eleven  Apostles. 

>S'. — Have  we  any  knowledge  of  his  labors  after  his  appoint- 
ment ? 

F. — We  have  not.     He  is  commonly  thought  to  have  received 

the  crown  of  martyrdom  about  the  year  64 ;    but  it  is  not  certain 

that  he  was  a  martyr  at  all.     As  we  hear  no  evil  of  him,  we  may 

hope  that   he  fulfilled  as  a  hireling   his  day,  and   has  long  since 

gone  to  his  reward. 

XI.    JAMES   THE  LESS. 

S. — We  have  seen  that  James  the  Less  was  the  brother  of  Jude, 
and  the  son  of  Cleopas  and  Mary:  Do  we  hear  much  of  him 
in  the  Gospels  ? 

F. — We  frequently  hear  of  the  other  James,  but  not  of  James 
the  Less. 

S. — Where  did  he  reside  subsequent  to  Christ's  ascension  ? 

F. — Chiefly  at  Jerusalem,  and  seems  to  have  had  the  oversight 
of  that  mother  church.  To  him  Peter  sent  the  news  of  his  deliv- 
erance from  prison.  "  Go,  show  these  things  unto  James,  and  to 
the  brethren  "  (Acts  xii.  17).  He  was  at  Jerusalem  at  the  time 
of  the  conference  respecting  the  circumcision  of  Gentile  converts, 
and  delivered  the  final  decision  concerning  it  (Acts  xv.  19).  He 
was  there,  when  Paul  went  up  to  Jerusalem  for  the  last  time 
before  he  was  sent  to  Rome  (Acts  xxi.  18).  Indeed,  he  seems 
not  to  have  left  Jerusalem,  but  was  barbarously  murdered  there, 
in  extreme  old  age,  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees.  He  was  thrown 
from  the  temple,  and  then  stoned,  and  his  brains  were  beat  out 
by  a  fuller's  club.  Josephus  thinks  that  the  miseries  which  after- 
wards befell  the  Jewish  nation  were  brought  upon  them  in  retri- 
bution for  their  treatment  of   James.      "  Tliese   things  happened 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  501 

unto  them  by  way  of  avenging  the  death  of  James  the  Just ;  for 
the  Jews  slew  him,  though  a  very  just  man."* 

S. — It  has  been  thought  by  some  that,  while  James  and  Jude, 
the  sons  of  Cleopas  and  Mary,  were  Apostles  of  Christ,  the  James 
who  resided  so  long  at  Jerusalem,  who  wrote  the  Epistle,  and  of 
whom  we  hear  so  much  in  the  Acts  and  the  Epistles  of  Paul,  was 
not  the  Apostle  James,  but  James  a  son  of  Joseph,  if  not  of  Mary, 
and  a  literal  brother  of  our  Lord :  What  is  your  opinion  on  this 
question  ? 

F. — I  dissent  from  the  views  to  which  you  refer,  and  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons : 

1.  It  is  said  of  Christ's  literal  brothers, — and  at  a  late  period  in 
his  public  ministry,  that  they  did  not  believe  on  him  (John  vii.  5). 
They  may  have  become  believers  afterwards  ;  but  the  fact  that 
Jesus  did  not  commit  his  mother  to  them,  but  to  John,  is  evidence 
that,  at  the  time  of  the  crucifixion,  they  and  their  mother  were  not 
in  full  sympathy  on  the  subject  of  religion.     And, 

2.  The  manner  in  which  the  James  who  dwelt  at  Jerusalem  is 
spoken  of  in  the  Acts,  and  in  the  Epistles  of  Paul,  shows  that  he 
must  have  been  an  Apostle.  It  was  he  who  presided,  as  I  just  said, 
at  the  convention  at  Jerusalem,  and  pronounced  the  decision  on 
the  question  of  circumcising  the  Gentiles.  Then  when  Paul  went 
up  to  Jerusalem  to  see  Peter,  he  says,  "  Other  of  the  Apostles  saw 
I  none,  save  James,  the  Lord's  brother."  This  shows  that  the 
James  whom  he  did  see  was  an  Apostle.  At  his  next  visit  to  Jeru- 
salem, Paul  saw  there  "  James,  Cephas,  and  John,  who  seemed  to  he 
pillars^'"' — a  proof  again  that  James  was  not  only  an  Apostle,  but  a 
distinguished  Apostle, — as  much  so  as  Peter  and  John.  I  con- 
clude, therefore,  that  the  James  who  resided  at  Jerusalem,  and 
wrote  the  Epistle,  was  no  other  than  the  Apostle  James.  He  was 
not  a  literal  brother  of  our  Lord,  but  a  cousin,  and  on  this  account 
is  sometimes  called  the  Lord's  brother.  Several  instances  occur  in 
the  Scriptures  of  this  use  of  the  term  brother,  among  the  Jews. 

*Antiq.,  Book  xx.  Chap.  9. 


502  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

XII.   JOHN. 

S. — We  have  heard  something  of  John  already.  He  was  a  Gali- 
lean, the  son  of  Zebedee  and  Salome,  and  a  younger  brother  of  the 
first  James,  with  whom  he  was  trained  to  be  a  fisherman.  He  was 
called  to  be  a  discix^le  at  the  same  time  with  James,  and  in  the  gos- 
pels they  are  usually  mentioned  together :  How  was  he  regarded 
by  his  Lord  and  Master  ? 

F. — He  seems  to  have  been  peculiarly  dear  to  Christ.  He  is 
spoken  of  as  "  the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved."  He  was  not  only 
one  of  the  three  whom  our  Savior  admitted  to  the  more  private 
passages  of  his  life,  but,  in  some  instances,  a  special  kindness  was 
shown  him.  He  lay  on  the  Savior's  breast  at  the  paschal  supper ; 
and  when  Peter  wished  to  know  which  of  the  disciples  was  to  be 
the  traitor,  instead  of  asking  the  question  himself,  he  beckoned  to 
John  to  put  it  for  him.  John  was  more  constant  to  his  Master 
than  any  of  the  disciples  at  the  time  of  his  trial  and  crucifixion ; 
for,  though  he  fled  from  hiin  at  the  first,  he  soon  recovered  him- 
self and  returned.  He  boldly  entered  the  high  priest's  palace ; 
followed  his  Master  through  the  several  parts  of  his  trial ;  and 
was  the  only  Apostle,  so  far  as  we  know,  who  stood  by  him 
through  the  terrible  scene  of  his  crucifixion.  Here  it  was  that 
his  suffering  Lord  committed  to  him  his  blessed  mother  :  "  Woman, 
behold  thy  son ;  disciple,  behold  thy  mother."  And  from  that 
hour,  John  took  her  to  his  own  home,  and  made  her,  to  the  end  of 
life,  the  special  object  of  his  charge  and  care. 

S. — Where  was  John  on  the  morning  of  the  resurrection  ? 

F. — He  and  Peter  were  the  first  of  the  Apostles  to  run  to  the 
empty  sepulchre.  He  recognized  his  risen  Lord  even  sooner  than 
Peter,  at  the  sea  of  Galilee.  After  the  ascension  of  Christ,  he  was 
with  Peter  when  he  went  up  to  the  temple,  and  healed  the  poor 
cripple.  They  were  apprehended  and  imprisoned  together,  and 
the  next  day  were  brought  out  to  plead  their  cause  before  the 
Sanhedrim.  These  were  the  two  disciples  who  went  to  Samaria  to 
assist  Philip,  in  the  great  revival  which  had  sprung  up  there.     It 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  503 

was  to  Peter,  James,  and  John, — still  residing  at  Jerusalem,  and 
seemijig  to  be  pillars,  that  Paul,  many  years  later,  addressed  him- 
self; and  they,  seeing  the  grace  which  God  had  imparted  unto 
him,  gave  him  the  right  hand  of  fellowship. 

S. — Where  did  John  reside,  chiefly,  after  the  ascension  ? 

F. — lie  lived  at  Jerusalem,  till  the  death  of  the  Lord's  mother 
— some  fifteen  to  twenty  years — when  he  migrated  into  Asia 
Minor,  and  exercised  his  ministry  there.  Several  churches  were 
formed  by  him,  but  his  principal  residence  was  at  Ephesus.  lie 
seems  not  to  have  been  molested  during  the  Neronian  persecution, 
in  which  Peter  and  Paul  were  put  to  death ;  but  in  the  subsec^uent 
persecution,  under  Domitian, — which  occurred  about  the  year  96, 
— he  was  arrested,  brought  to  Rome,  and  thence  banished  to 
Patmos,  a  desolate  island  in  the  -^gean  sea.  The  story  told  by 
Tertullian,  of  his  having  been  previously  thrown  into  a  caldron  of 
boiling  oil  and  coming  out  unharmed,  is  now  generally  discarded. 

S. — What  was  John's  experience  on  the  isle  of  Patmos  ? 

F. — It  was  here  that  he  had  those  remarkable  visions  and  revela- 
tions recorded  in  the  Apocalypse. 

S. — Some  tell  us  that  John  was  banished,  not  under  Domitian 
near  the  close  of  the  first  century,  but  under  Nero,  some  thirty 
years  earlier  :     What  is  your  opinion  on  this  subject  ? 

F. — That  John  was  banished  under  Domitian,  and  not  under 
Nero,  is  an  important  fact  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Apocalypse ; 
for  in  the  time  of  Domitian,  Jerusalem  had  long  been  destroyed ; 
and,  consequently,  none  of  John's  predictions  could  have  looked 
forward,  as  some  pretend,  to  its  destruction.  They  must  portend 
other  calamities  about  to  fall  on  the  enemies  of  the  church. 

That  John  was  really  banished  under  Domitian  is  proved  by 
the  almost  uniform  testimony  of  the  early  Christians.  It  is  also 
proved  from  the  Apocalypse  itself,  as  has  been  shown  by  numerous 
commentators. 

S. — Was  John  released  from  banishment  and  restored  to  the 
churches  before  his  death  ? 


504  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

F. — He  was.  Domitian  was  assassinated  at  Rome  in  the  year 
96,  and  Nerva  succeeded  him.  He  rescinded  the  cruel  edicts 
of  his  predecessor,  and  recalled  those  from  banishment  whom 
Domitian  had  driven  away.  Taking  advantage  of  this  liberty, 
John  left  the  isle  of  Patmos,  and  returned  to  Ephesus.  Here  he 
wrote  his  Gospel,  which  was  designed  to  refute  the  errors  of  the 
times,  and  to  supply  what  the  other  Evangelists  had  omitted.  The 
Apocalypse  he  is  supposed  to  have  written  on  the  island.  He  also 
left  three  Epistles,  which  are  thought  to  have  been  written  before 
his  banishment. 

S. — How  long  did  John  live  ? 

F. — He  lived  to  the  time  of  Trajan,  near  the  close  of  the  first 
century,  and  was  almost  a  hundred  years  old  at  his  death.  As  to 
the  manner  of  his  death,  the  fathers  are  not  agreed.  Some  tell  us 
that  he  died  a  martyr ;  while  others  think  that  he  did  not  die  at 
all.  He  was  either  translated,  like  Enoch  and  Elijah,  or  concealed 
himself  for  a  time,  to  be  again  manifested. 

S. — Do  the  fathers  relate  any  incidents  respecting  John,  after  his 
return  from  banishment,  which  are  likely  to  be  true  ? 

F. — Yes ;  Eusebius  relates  that,  before  his  banishment,  he  had 
committed  a  beloved  young  man  to  the  bishop  of  Ephesus,  with 
a  charge  to  train  him  up  for  him.  On  his  return,  he  found  that 
the  bishop  had  neglected  his  charge,  and  that  the  young  man  had 
become  a  robber  in  the  mountains.  The  venerable  Apostle  went 
in  pursuit  of  him,  found  him,  brought  him  to  repentance,  and 
restored  him  to  the  church. 

Irenseus  tells  us  that,  as  John  was  going  one  day  to  the  bath, 
he  learned  that  the  heretic  Cerinthus  was  in  the  building.  "  Let 
us  flee  from  this  j)lace,"  said  the  aged  Apostle,  "lest  the  bath  in 
which  there  is  such  an  enemy  of  the  truth  should  fall  upon  us, 
and  crush  us  together." 

In  his  last  days,  when  the  venerable  man  could  no  longer 
preach,  or  even  walk  to  the  place  of  meeting,  he  used  to  be  carried 
there,  and  would  repeat  from  time  to  time,  "Little  children,  love 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  505 

one  another."  When  asked  wliy  he  always  gave  the  same  exhorta- 
tion, he  replied  :  "  Such  is  the  command  of  Christ ;  and  this  duty, 
if  faithfully  performed,  is  enough." 

Thus  lovingly  and  peacefully  passed  away  the  last  of  the  twelve 
original  Apostles, — a  noble,  venerable  band  of  men,  honored  by 
the  Savior's  selection  and  personal  instructions  while  he  was  yet 
with  them,  and  left  as  the  depositaries  of  his  truth,  and  founders 
of  the  churches  of  the  new  dispensation,  when  he  was  removed  to 
liis  tlirone  in  heaven. 


CONVERSATION  YIII. 

LIFE  OF  THE  APOSTLE  PAUL.— A  Jew  and  also  a  Roman  citizen.— His  education. 
— His  persecution  of  Christians. — His  conversion. — Enters  immediately  upon  the  work 
of  tlie  Christian  ministry. — Miracles  and  cures  performed. — Astonishment  of  the 
people. — Stoned  by  the  mob  — An  important  question  settled. — First  great  controversy 
in  the  Christian  church. — Peter  rebuked  by  Paul. 

Son. — There  was  jet  another  Apostle,  called  as  it  were  out  of 
due  time,  and  commissioned  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Gentiles, — 
I  mean  Paul.     You  will  not  fail  to  give  us  some  account  of  him. 

Father. — Paul  was,  as  he  tells  us,  "  a  Hebrew  of  the  Hebrews," 
and  was  born  at  Tarsus,  the  chief  city  of  Cilicia.  Tarsus  had  been 
made  by  Augustus  a  free  city,  which  constituted  its  native  inhab- 
itants citizens  of  Rome.  This  privilege  Paul  pleaded  more  than 
once  in  times  of  persecution,  and  thus  escaped  inflictions  which 
otherwise  he  might  have  suffered. 

S. — What  was  the  education  of  Paul  ? 

F. — He  was  instructed  at  Tarsus  in  Grecian  and  classic  learning. 
Like  every  other  Jew,  he  had  a  mechanical  trade.  He  was  a  tent- 
maker.,  and  often  followed  his  trade,  and  by  it  supplied  his  own 
personal  wants,  during  his  Apostolical  ministry.  Having  j)assed 
through  the  prescribed  courses  of  learning  at  Tarsus,  Paul  was 
sent  by  his  parents  to  Jerusalem,  and  placed  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Gamaliel,  to  be  perfected  in  the  study  of  the  Jewish  law. 
He  early  attached  himself  to  the  Pharisees — the  straitest  and  most 
illiberal  of  the  Jewish  sects.  He  was  regarded  by  them  as  a  youth 
of  great  promise,  and  seemed  fairly  entitled  to  the  highest  honors 
which  his  nation  had  it  in  their  power  to  bestow. 

S. — We  have  heard  already  of  Paul's  persecutions  at  Jerusalem, 
of  his  bloody  commission  to  Damascus,  of  his  miraculous  conver- 
sion by  the  way,  and  of  his  becoming  a  professed  follower  of 
Christ.  Is  it  likely  that  Paul  was  conscientious  in  his  early  perse- 
cutions? 

F. — I  suppose  that  he  was,  in  a  loose  sense  of  the  term,  consci- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  507 

entious.  He  was  as  conscientious  as  persecutors  generally  are, — 
perhaps  more  so.  He  '•  verily  thought  that  he  ought  to  do  man}- 
things  contrary  to  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth."  But  it  does 
not  follow  from  this  that  he  was  justified  in  persecuting  the 
church.  He  certainly  did  not  think  so  himself  afterwards.  A 
warped^  misguided,  prejudiced  conscience  is  one  of  the  most  dan- 
gerous guides  which  a  man  can  follow. 

S. — After  Paul  had  been  baptized,  what  did  he  assay  to  do  ? 

F. — He  began  to  preach  the  gospel  in  the  synagogues  at  Damas- 
cus, alleging  and  proving  that  the  same  Jesus,  whom  he  had  so 
latel}"  persecuted,  was  the  Christ  of  God.  Amazed  and  con- 
founded at  the  change  which  had  taken  place  in  him,  and  not 
being  able  to  refute  his  words,  the  Jews  at  Damascus  sought  to 
destroy  him.  But  he,  being  aware  of  their  design,  left  the  cit}^ 
and  retired  into  the  northern  part  of  Arabia,  where  he  remained 
almost  three  years  (Gal.  i.  12). 

aS'. — How  did  Paul  pass  his  time  during  this  long  retirement  in 
Arabia  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know.  Doubtless,  a  considerable  portion  of  it 
was  spent  in  meditation  and  devotion,  in  communion  with  Christ, 
and  receiving  revelations  from  him.  It  was  during  this  period, 
that  he  was  caught  up  into  the  third  heavens — into  "  the  Paradise 
of  God,  and  heard  unspeakable  words,  which  it  is  not  lawful  for 
a  man  to  utter"  (2  Cor.  xii.  4).  It  was  during  this  period  that 
he  was  supernaturally  instructed  in  regard  to  the  truths  and  facts 
of  the  gospel,  which,  he  tells  us  expressly  he  "  did  not  receive 
from  man,  but  by  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ." 

S. — On  his  return  from  Arabia,  where  did  Paul  go  ? 

F. — He  returned  to  Damascus,  and  commenced  anew  his  appro- 
priate work  of  preaching,  in  the  synagogues  and  other  public 
places,  the  gospel  of  Christ.  But  instead  of  receiving  his  testi- 
mony, the  Jews  again  sought  his  life  ;  and  the  more  surely  to 
effect  their  purpose,  they  complained  of  him  to  the  governor,  who 
placed  a  guard  at  the  gates  of  the  city  to  prevent  all  possibility 


508  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  escape.  Nevertheless,  he  did  escape  ;  for,  watchmg  their  oppor- 
tunity, his  friends  let  him  down  through  a  window,  in  a  basket, 
by  the  wall,  and  thus  effected  his  deliverance  (1  Cor.  xi.  32). 

>S'. — Where  did  Paul  now  go  ? 

F. — He  went  to  Jerusalem, — the  first  time  that  he  had  been 
there  since  his  conversion.  But  when  he  assayed  to  join  himself 
to  the  disciples,  many  were  afraid  of  him  ;  they  did  not  believe  he 
was  a  disciple.  But  Barnabas  took  him,  and  brought  him  to  the 
Apostles,  and  declared  unto  them  the  fact  of  his  conversion,  and 
how  he  had  preached  boldly  at  Damascus  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  After  this,  he  was  received  joyfully  by  the  whole 
church,  and  began  to  preach  Christ  in  the  synagogues,  laboring 
more  especially  among  the  foreign  Jews.  But  instead  of  being 
convinced,  they  were  enraged,  and  sought  to  kill  him.  He  had  a 
revelation,  also,  from  his  Lord  and  Master,  warning  him  to  depart 
quickly  out  of  Jerusalem,  and  directing  him  to  go  and  preach  to 
the  Gentiles.  Accordingly,  being  assisted  by  the  brethren,  Paul 
departed,  first  to  Caesarea,  and  afterwards  to  Tarsus. 

>S'. — Where  do  we  next  find  the  new  Apostle  ? 

F. — It  was  while  Paul  was  stopping  at  Tarsus,  his  native  city, 
that  Barnabas  came  for  him  to  go  and  preach  at  Antioch, — where 
he  remained  a  full  year.  This  must  have  been  a  delightful  year 
to  Paul.  He  was  associated  with  a  choice  company  of  ministers, 
whose  names  are  given  in  Acts  xiii.  1.  Through  their  instrumen- 
tality, the  work  of  the  Lord  prospered  greatly,  and  a  large  and 
flourishing  church  was  established. 

S. — This  was  a  year  of  famine  in  some  parts  of  the  East,  and 
the  disciples  at  Antioch  resolved  to  send  relief  to  their  brethren 
at  Jerusalem  :  By  whom  did  they  send  it  ? 

F. — By  the  hands  of  Barnabas  and  Paul.  This  was  Paul's  sec- 
ond visit  to  Jerusalem  after  his  conversion. 

S. — Soon  after  their  return  from  Jerusalem,  Paul  and  Barnabas 
had  a  call  of  a  different  kind :  What  was  it  ? 

F. — They  were   called  of  the   Holy  Ghost  to  go  on  their  first 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  509 

mission  to  the  heathen.  So,  when  their  brethren  at  Antioch  had 
fasted,  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  upon  them,  they  sent 
them  away. 

*S'. — Where  did  they  go  ? 

F. — Going  down  to  Seleucia,  the  port  of  Antioch,  they  sailed 
over  to  Cyprus,  which  was  the  home  of  Barnabas.  They  first 
visited  Salamis,  a  large  city  in  the  south-eastern  part  of  the  island, 
preaching  in  the  synagogues  on  the  Sabbath,  and  visiting  from 
house  to  house.  Thence  crossing  to  the  western  side  of  the  island, 
they  came  to  Paphos,  which  was  the  residence  of  Sergius  Paulus, 
the  proconsul  of  the  country.  And  here  they  found  a  sorcerer, 
Elymas  by  name,  who  was  with  the  proconsul,  and  exerted  an 
unfavorable  influence  upon  him.  Nevertheless,  the  proconsul  sent 
for  Barnabas  and  Paul,  and  desired  to  hear  from  them  the  word  of 
God ;  but  Elymas  withstood  them,  hoj)ing  to  turn  away  the  pro- 
consul from  the  faitli.  Whereupon  Paul,  fixing  his  eyes  upon 
him,  said :  "  O  full  of  all  subtlety  and  mischief,  thou  child  of  the 
devil,  thou  enemy  of  all  righteousness,  wilt  thou  not  cease  to 
pervert  the  right  ways  of  the  Lord  ?  "  And  immediately  the  sor- 
cerer was  smitten  with  blindness,  and  groped  about,  seeking  some 
one  to  lead  him  by  the  hand.  This  miracle  had  a  great  effect  upon 
the  mind  of  the  proconsul.  He  became  a  believer  at  once,  being 
astonished  at  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord. 

S. — Leaving  Cyprus,  our  missionaries  now  sailed  over  to  Perga, 
the  chief  city  of  Pamphylia :     What  occurred  here,  and  afterwards? 

F. — Here  Mark  left  them  to  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  Titus,  a 
converted  Greek,  took  his  place.  From  Perga  they  traveled  in  a 
northerly  direction  some  seventy  or  eighty  miles,  until  they  came 
to  Antioch  in  Pisidia.  Here  they  went  into  the  synagogue  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  Paul  preached  a  long  discourse,  affirming  some  of  the 
principal  facts  of  the  gospel  history,  proving  incontestably  the 
messiahship  of  Jesus,  and  solemnly  warning  his  Jewish  brethren  of 
the  danger  of  rejecting  him :  "  Beware,  lest  that  come  upon  you 
which  is  spoken  in  the  prophets!    Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder. 


510  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

and  perish ;  for  I  work  a  work  in  your  day  which  ye  shall  in  no 
wise  believe,  though  one  declare  it  unto  you"  (Acts  xiii.  40). 
This  sermon  produced  a  great  effect.  Many  Jews  and  religious 
proselytes  followed  Paul  and  Barnabas,  who  exhorted  them  to  con- 
tinue in  the  grace  of  God.  Great  numbers  of  the  Gentiles,  also, 
requested  that  the  same  word  might  be  preached  unto  them ;  and 
the  next  Sabbath,  almost  the  whole  city  came  together  to  hear  the 
gospel.  But  when  the  Jews  saw  the  interest  which  was  excited, 
they  were  filled  with  envy,  raised  a  persecution  against  Paul  and 
Barnabas,  and  drove  them  away.  So  they  shook  off  the  dust  of 
their  feet  against  them,  and,  journeying  some  thirty  miles  in  a 
south-easterly  direction,  came  to  Iconium. 

S. — How  did  they  commence  their  labors  at  Iconium  ? 

F. — Just  as  they  did  at  Antioch,  and  in  other  places.  They  went 
first  into  the  synagogue,  and  so  spake  that  a  great  multitude  of  the 
Jews  and  proselytes  believed.  They  abode  here  many  days,  speak- 
ing boldly  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  signs  and  miracles  were 
wrought  by  their  hands.  But  at  length  the  people  became  divided 
respecting  them,  and  a  conspiracy  was  formed  to  assault  and  stone 
them.  Aware  of  this,  they  took  warning  and  fled;  and  going  still 
further  in  a  south-easterly  direction,  they  came  to  Derbe  and  Lj^stra, 
cities  of  Lycaonia. 

S. — What  remarkable  occurrences  took  place  at  Lystra? 

F. — Paul  healed  a  lame  man  who  had  never  walked,  which  so 
astonished  the  people,  that  they  declared  the  strangers  to  be  gods  in 
the  likeness  of  men,  and  were  about  to  worship  them.  But  Paul 
and  Barnabas  forbade  them,  saying,  "  Why  do  ye  these  things  ? 
We  are  not  gods,  but  men  of  like  passions  with  yourselves,  and 
preach  unto  you  that  ye  should  turn  from  all  these  vanities  unto 
the  living  God,  who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth."  This  gust 
of  popular  favor  at  Lystra  soon  passed  away ;  for  certain  Jews  from 
Iconium  and  Antioch  came  down  there,  and  so  excited  the  people 
against  the  missionaries  that  they  stoned  Paul,  and  drew  him  out  of 
the  city  as  one  dead,  but  he  soon  revived,  and  the  next  day  they 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  611 

z_ 

departed  iinto  Derbe.  Here  also  they  preaclied  the  gospel,  and 
instructed  many. 

S. — On  leaving  Derbe,  what  course  did  the  missionaries  pursue  ? 

F. — They  turned  back  through  Lystra  and  Iconium  unto  Antioch 
in  Pisidia,  confirming  the  souls  of  the  disciples,  and  exhorting 
them  to  continue  steadfast  in  the  faith.  And  when  they  had 
ordnined  them  elders  in  every  church,  and  prayed  and  fasted  with 
them,  they  commended  them  to  the  Lord  in  whom  they  believed. 
From  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  the  missionaries  returned  to  Perga,  where 
they  first  landed  when  they  came  from  Cyprus ;  and  soon  after  they 
sailed  to  Antioch  in  Syria — to  the  great  church  which  had  sent 
them  fortli  on  this  mission  of  mercy.  And  when  they  had  gathered 
the  church  together,  they  rehearsed  all  that  God  had  done  with 
them  and  by  them,  and  how  he  had  opened  the  door  of  faith  unto 
the  Gentiles :  and  here  they  tarried  with  their  burden  and  labored 
for  a  considerable  time. 

S. — What  controversy  arose  at  Antioch  during  this  interval  ? 

F. — That  respecting  the  circumcision  of  converted  Gentiles. 
Certain  Jewish  believers  came  down  from  Jerusalem,  and  insisted 
that  the  Gentile  converts  must  all  of  them  be  circumcised  and  keep 
the  law  of  Moses,  or  they  could  not  be  saved.  This  demand  Paul 
and  Barnabas  strenuousl}'  resisted ;  but  as  there  seemed  to  be  no 
prospect  of  settling  the  question  there,  it  was  determined  that  Paul 
and  Barnabas,  with  Titus  and  certain  other  brethren,  should  go  up 
to  Jerusalem,  and  lay  the  case  before  the  Apostles  and  the  elders  of 
that  mother  church.  This  was  Paul's  third  journe}'  to  Jerusalem 
after  his  conversion  :  in  accomplishing  which  he  and  his  brethren 
passed  down  the  jNIediterranean  as  far  as  Tj-re,  thence  across  the 
country  to  Samaria,  and  thence  to  the  holy  city;  declaring  wherever 
they  went  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles,  which  gave  great  jo}-  to 
all  the  brethren.  Arrived  at  Jerusalem,  they  gathered  the  Apostles 
and  elders  and  the  whole  church  together,  and  submitted  the  ver}- 
important  question  with  which  they  were  charged.  After  much 
discussion,  in  which  Peter  and  James  largely  participated,  it  was 


512  CONVEBSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

decided  not  to  enforce  the  A'oke  of  circumcision  and  the  Jewish  law 
upon  the  Gentile  converts ;  and  a  letter  was  prepared  and  sent  to 
Antioch,  announcing  this  decision. 

;S'. — Did  this  decision  end  the  controversy  ? 

F. — It  did  not.  The  Judaizing  teachers  continued  to  agitate. 
They  persisted  in  their  demands,  and  were  indefatigable  in  urging 
them.  They  followed  Paul  in  his  future  labors,  and  were  resolved 
to  give  him  no  peace. 

S. — This  was  the  first  great  controversy  in  the  Christian  church. 
Was  the  subject  of  it  of  much  importance  ? 

F. — Yes ;  it  related  not  to  the  practice  of  circumcision  as  a 
mere  ceremony,  but  to  the  enforcing  of  it  as  essential  to  salvation. 
This  Paul  could  not  admit;  and  we  can  never  be  sufficiently 
thankful  to  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles  for  the  stand  which 
he  took  on  this  occasion. 

^S'. — What  other  important  object  did  Paul  accom23lish  by  this 
visit  to  Jerusalem  ? 

F. — He  had  more  intercourse  with  the  original  Apostles, — with 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  than  he  had  had  before.  He  compared 
notes  with  them,  and  found  that  he  preached  the  same  gospel  as 
they:  "In  conference,  they  added  nothing  to  me"  (Gal.  ii.  6). 
"  And  when  they  perceived  the  grace  which  ^vas  given  unto  me, 
they  gave  to  me  and  to  Barnabas  the  right  hand  of  fellowship." 

>S'. — Their  mission  to  Jerusalem  being  accomplished,  Paul  and 
Barnabas  returned  to  Antioch :     Whom  did  they  bring  with  them? 

F. — Judas  and  Silas,  otherwise  called  Silvanus.  They  took  also 
with  them  the  decision  of  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  which  gave 
great  satisfaction  to  the  Gentile  brethren. 

aS'. — Not  long  after  this,  Peter  came  to  Antioch  ;  and  what  did  he 
do? 

F. — Falling  in  with  some  of  the  zealous  Judaizers,  he  separated 
himself  from  the  Gentile  converts,  and  refused  to  eat  with  them. 
And  so  great  was  his  influence,  that  even  Barnabas  was  led  into  the 
same  inconsistency.     Again,  then,  are  we  indebted  to  the  firmness 


CONVERSATTONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  513 

of  Paul,  for  withstanding  the  threatening  evil.  He  calmly  but 
firmly  rebuked  Peter  and  the  other  dissemblers,  and  maintained  the 
position  which  had  been  taken  at  Jerusalem. 

S. — To  what  conclusion  did  Paul  and  Barnabas  come,  shortly 
after  this  ? 

F. — They  resolved  to  visit  the  churches  which  they  had  planted 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  look  after  their  state.  Barnabas  wished 
to  take  Mark  with  them  again  ;  but  Paul  would  not  consent  to  it, 
since  Mark  deserted  them  on  their  former  mission,  and  went  not 
with  them  to  the  work.  On  this  ground,  the  two  friends  now  sepa- 
rated :  Barnabas  took  Mark,  and  sailed  over  to  Cyprus ;  but  Paul 
took  Silas,  a  brother  who  had  recently  come  with  them  from  Jeru- 
salem, and  entered  on  his  second  and  far  more  important  mission 
to  the  heathen. 

S. — What  countries  did  the}^  first  visit? 

F. — They  went  through  Syria  and  Cilicia  confirming  the  churches, 
and  delivering  unto  them  copies  of  the  late  decision  at  Jerusalem. 
At  Lystra,  Paul  found  Timothy,  a  young  brother  in  Christ,  whose 
mother  was  a  Jewish  convert,  but  whose  father  was  a  Greek.  Him 
Paul  invited  to  accompany  him  on  his  mission ;  and  that  he  might 
encounter  less  prejudice  among  the  Jews,  he  first  circumcised  him. 
From  Lystra,  the)'  passed  through  Phrygia  and  Galatia,  where  Paul 
met  with  great  acceptance,  and  established  many  churches.  From 
Galatia,  Paul  intended  to  pass  into  Asia  Minor,  and  there  preach 
the  gospel,  but  he  was  directed  by  the  Spirit  to  cross  the  JEgean 
into  Macedonia.  So  sailing  from  Troas,  he  came  to  Philippi,  one 
of  the  chief  cities  of  Macedonia,  and  a  colony.  This  was  Paul's 
first  entrance  into  Europe.  At  Philippi,  he  baptized  Lydia  and  the 
jailer  with  their  households,  and  established  a  flourishing  church. 
But  being  persecuted  without  cause,  he  departed  from  Philippi  and 
came  to  Thessalonica,  another  large  city  in  Macedonia.  Here  Paul 
went  into  the  synagogue,  and  for  three  successive  Sabbaths,  reasoned 
with  the  Jews  out  of  their  own  Scriptures,  opening  and  alleging 
"  that  Christ  must  suffer,  and  rise  from  the  dead,  and  that  Jesus 


514  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  Nazareth  is  the  Christ."  And  many,  both  Jews  and  Gentiles, 
believed,  and  the  materials  of  a  church  were  soon  gathered.  But 
the  unbelieving  Jews  stirred  up  the  people,  set  the  city  in  an 
uproar,  and  constrained  the  missionaries  to  depart. 

They  next  w^ent  to  Berea,  a  neighboring  city,  and  commenced 
preaching  the  gospel  there.  And  the  Berean  Jews  were  more 
liberal  than  those  of  Thessalonica ;  for  they  received  the  word  with 
all  readiness  of  mind,  and  searched  the  Scriptures  daily  whether 
these  things  were  so.  The  consequence  was,  that  many  were  con- 
verted, both  Jews  and  Greeks.  But  when  the  Thessalonian  Jews 
heard  that  the  Bereans  had  embraced  the  truth,  they  came  down 
there,  and  created  a  tumult,  and  made  it  necessary  for  Paul  to 
depart.  So,  leaving  Silas  and  Timothy  at  Berea,  he  went  on  to 
Athens,  the  great  seat  and  center  of  Grecian  art  and  wisdom. 

>S'. — How  did  Paul  busy  himself  at  Athens  ? 

F. — He  took  a  survey  of  the  city,  preached  in  the  synagogue, 
and  conversed  with  the  philosophers  ;  and  as  he  was  found  to  hold 
some  novel  oi)inions,  they  took  him  to  the  Areopagus, — an  Athe- 
nian court  designed  to  look  into  such  matters.  And  here  he  deliv- 
ered his  celebrated  speech  on  Mars  Hill — one  of  the  finest 
specimens  of  popular  oratory  to  be  found  in  all  antiquity.  His 
success  in  Athens,  however,  was  small.  These  proud  philosophers 
were  not  in  a  mood  to  receiv^e  instruction  from  a  traveling  Jew. 
A  few  only  adhered  to  him,  among  whom  were  Dionysius,  the 
Areopagite,  and  a  noble  ladj^  named  Damaris. 

S. — Where  do  we  next  find  Paul  and  his  companions  ? 

F. — Leaving  Athens,  Paul  went  to  Corinth,  the  metropolis  of 
Greece  proper,  and  the  residence  of  the  proconsul  of  Achaia. 
Here  he  found  Priscilla  and  Aquila,  lately  come  from  Italy, 
because  that  Claudius  Coesar  had  banished  all  the  Jews  from 
Rome.  With  them  Paul  resided,  and  wrought  with  them  in  the 
busine&s  of  tent-making.  He  assembled  with  the  Jews  every  Sab- 
bath in  the  synagogue,  and  testified  to  them  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ.     And  though    some    few  of   them  received  his  testimony. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  515 

the  multitude  rejected  it,  opposing  and  blaspheming  the  doctrine 
of  the  Lord.  Wherefore  Paul  shook  his  raiment,  forsook  the 
synagogue,  and  commenced  preaching  to  the  Gentiles.  At  the 
same  time,  he  was  encouraged  by  a  vision  of  Christ,  who  said  to 
him  :  "  Be  not  afraid ;  hold  not  thy  peace  ;  for  I  am  with  thee, 
and  no  man  shall  hurt  thee  ;  for  I  have  much  people  in  this  city." 
So  Paul  continued  at  Corinth  a  year  and  six  months,  teaching 
and  publishing  the  word  of  the  Lord.  In  this  time,  a  large  church 
was  established,  which  continued  to  flourish  for  a  long  period. 
The  Jews  endeavored  to  excite  against  him  the  displeasure  of 
Gallic,  the  proconsul;  but  Gallio  would  not  listen  to  them,  and 
the  work  of  the  Lord  continued  to  jjrosper. 

After  leaving  Corinth,  Paul  sailed  into  Asia,  that  he  might  be 
present  at  the  coming  Passover  in  Jerusalem.  This  was  his 
fourth  visit  to  the  holy  city,  after  his  conversion ;  and  here  we 
leave  his  history  for  the  present,  to  be  resumed  in  our  next 
conversation. 

33 


CONVERSATION  IX. 

LIFE  OF  THE  APOSTLE  PAUL  Continued. — Riot  of  the  silver-smiths. — Their 
business  of  idol-makiug  in  danger.— Farewell  to  Ephesus.— Return  to  Jerusalem. — 
Visit  to  the  house  of  James. — Paul's  artifice  and  the  evil  results. — Rescued  from  danger 
by  Roman  soldiers.— Paul  before  Felix  and  Agrippa.— A  noble  speech.— Shipwreck.— 
Paul  at  Rome. — His  death. 

Son. — In  our  last  conversation,  we  followed  Paul  through  his  sec- 
ond long  and  perilous  missionary  tour,  in  which  he  not  only  visited 
the  churches  before  planted  by  him,  but  passed  over  into  Macedonia 
and  Greece.  On  his  return  to  Asia,  he  landed  at  Csesarea,  in 
Palestine,  and  hastened  forward  to  Jerusalem,  to  be  present  at  the 
Passover.     Did  he  spend  much  time  at  Jerusalem  on  this  visit  ? 

Father. — He  did  not ;  for  we  soon  find  him  at  Antioch  in  Syria, 
and  among  the  churches  he  had  before  planted  in  Phrygia  and 
Galatia.  From  there,  —  in  fulfillment  of  a  promise  previously 
made, — he  went  to  Ephesus.  And  here  he  found  disciples,  who 
seem  not  to  have  heard  of  the  coming  of  Christ,  or  the  descent 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  knowing  only  the  doctrine  and  baptism  of 
John.  These  Paul  took  under  his  special  charge,  instructed  them, 
baptized  them,  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  and  they  received  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  his  miraculous  influences. 

;S'. — How  did  Paul  conduct  his  labors  at  Ephesus,  and  how 
long  was  he  there  ? 

F. — In  his  public  labors  at  Ephesus,  Paul  pursued  his  usual 
course.  He  went  into  the  synagogue  every  Sabbath  for  three 
months,  endeavoring  to  convince  and  persuade  the  Jews  ;  but  the 
most  of  them  becoming  hardened  and  obstinate,  he  departed  from 
them,  and  went  to  the  Gentiles.  He  taught  two  full  years  in  the 
school-room  of  one  Tj-rannus;  so  that  all  those  of  lesser  Asia 
heard  the  word  of  the  Lord.  And  not  only  did  he  teach,  but  he 
wrought  the  most  astounding  miracles  ;  for  if  only  a  handkerchief 
from  his  hand  were  carried  to  a  sick  person,  or  to  one  possessed 
with  a  devil,  immediately  he  was  healed. 


COXVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  517 

There  was  a  great  revival  of  religion  at  Ephesiis.  Many  be- 
lieved on  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  made  an  open  confession  of  their 
sins  ;  and  many  of  those  who  used  magical  arts,  brought  their 
books  together  and  burned  them.  So  mightil}'  grew  the  word  of 
God  and  prevailed.  But  the  devil  could  not  be  easy  to  see  his 
kingdom  thus  rudely  assailed.  So  he  stirred  up  the  silver-smiths 
which  made  shrines  for  Diana,  insisting  that  the  new  religion 
would  ruin  their  business.  And  they  got  up  a  mob  and  an 
uproar,  from  which  Paul  and  his  companions  thought  it  prudent  to 
retire. 

S. — On  leaving  Ephesus,  where  did  Paul  and  his  assistants  go  ? 

F. — They  crossed  over  the  sea  to  Macedonia,  leaving  Timothy 
behind  to  attend  to  some  matters  which,  in  the  hurry  of  their 
departure,  they  had  not  time  to  finish. 

>S'. — How  was  Paul  employed  while  in  Macedonia  ? 

F. — He  not  only  visited  the  cities  where  he  had  before  preached, 
but  he  went  beyond  them,  even  unto  the  borders  of  Illyricum  and 
Thrace  (Rom.  xv.  19). 

S. — From  jNIacedonia  where  did  Paul  go  ? 

F. — He  visited  Corinth,  and  abode  there  three  months.  He  was 
now  urging  forward  his  collections  for  the  poor  saints  at  Jeru- 
salem. 

*S'. — Having  finished  his  collections,  and  got  in  readiness  to 
leave  for  the  holy  city,  what  course  did  Paul  take  ? 

F. — It  had  been  his  intention  to  pass  directly  over  from  Corinth 
into  Syria ;  but  when  he  learned  that  the  Jews  were  Ij'ing  in  wait 
for  him, — perhaps  to  rob  him  of  his  money, — he  resolved  to  turn 
back  through  Macedonia. 

*S'. — Who  accompanied  the  Apostle  in  these  journeyings  ? 

F. — He  was  attended  by  several  young  men,  who  waited  upon 
him,  executed  his  orders,  and  aided  him  in  the  work  of  the  minis- 
try. They  were,  in  most  instances,  his  pupils  and  evangelists, 
whom  he  was  training  for  usefulness  in  the  church,  when  his  own 
labors  should   cease.     Amongr  those    who  were  with   him   at  this 


518  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


time,  were  Aristarchus,  Secundus,  Gains,  Timotheus,    Trophimus, 
T3'chicus,  and  Lnke,  the  beloved  physician. 

.S*. — On  leaving  Macedonia,  where  did  Paul  and  his  company  go  ? 

F. — They  sailed  over  to  Troas,  making  the  voyage  in  five  days. 
At  Troas  they  tarried  seven  days.  It  was  here  that  Paul  preached 
until  midnight,  when  a  young  man  in  his  sleep  fell  from  the  third 
loft,  and  was  taken  up  for  dead.  He  was  not  dead,  however,  but 
was  presently  restored  through  the  instrumentality  of  Paul. 
The  next  day,  Paul  and  his  companions  sailed  down  the  coast 
and  came  to  Miletus.  Not  having  time  to  stop  at  Ephesus,  Paul 
sent  for  the  elders  of  the  Ephesian  church  to  meet  him  at  Miletus. 
They  did  so;  and  it  was  here  that  he  delivered  to  them  that 
touching  farewell  address  and  charge,  which  is  recorded  in  the 
twentieth  chapter  of  the  Acts.  Leaving  Miletus,  Paul  came  to 
Tyre,  'and  thence  to  Ctesarea  in  Palestine,  where  they  lodged  in 
the  house  of  Philip  the  evangelist,  Avho  was  originally  one  of  the 
seven  deacons.  Philip  had  four  daughters  endowed  with  the  gift 
of  prophecy,  who  warned  Paul  of  the  danger  of  going  to  Jerusa- 
lem. But  he  would  not  be  dissuaded.  To  him  the  point  of  duty 
AA^s  clear,  and  his  resolution  was  fixed.  So  he  went  forward  to 
the  holy  city,  and  was  kindly  received  by  brethren  there.  Indeed, 
he  ought  to  be  kindly  received ;  for  this  was  his  second  visit  to 
Jerusalem,  bringing  presents  from  the  Gentile  churches  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor. 

>S'. — On  coming  to  Jerusalem,  whom  did  Paul  first  visit? 

F. — He  went  to  the  house  of  James,  where  he  found  the  elders 
of  the  church  assembled.  He  gave  them  an  account  of  his  mis- 
sionary labors  and  successes,  in  which  they  were  greatly  inter- 
ested. But  the  question  at  once  arose,  "  How  is  Paul  to  be  dis- 
posed of  here  at  Jerusalem  ?  How  are  we  to  satisfy  the  thousands 
of  Jewish  believers,  who  are  all  zealous  of  the  law,  that  he  is 
not,  as  he  is  charged,  a  disorderly  walker,  and  a  despiser  of  the 
institutions  of  Moses?"  To  meet  this  difficulty,  the  following 
expedient  was  proposed :  "  We  have  four  men  which  have  a  vow 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  521 

upon  them ;  purify  tli3'self  "vvith  them,  and  be  at  charges,  and 
shave  thy  beard,  that  all  may  know  that  the  things  reported  of 
thee  are  false,  but  that  thou  walkest  orderly,  and  keepest  the  law." 
To  this  proposition  Paul  consented.  He  purified  himself  with 
the  men  under  a  vow,  and  entered  into  the  temple  with  them  to 
accomplish  the  seven  days  of  purification,  that  an  offering  might 
be  made  for  each  of  them. 

S. — Did  Paul  do  right  in  this  instance  ? 

F. — With  all  due  deference,  I  must  be  allowed  to  sa}^  that  I 
think  the  Apostle,  for  once,  mistook  the  line  of  duty.  Instead  of 
keeping  about  his  business,  and  putting  his  trust  in  God,  he 
descended,  at  the  suggestion  of  others,  to  what  looks  like  a 
specious  artifice,  a  trick,  with  a  view  to  satisfy  the  Jews  that  he 
was  a  more  strict  observer  of  the  law  than  he  really  was.  And 
soon  the  event  proved  that  this  very  artifice,  which  was  resorted 
to,  to  save  him  from  trouble,  was  the  means  of  plunging  him  into 
it.  For,  when  the  days  of  his  purification  were  almost  ended, 
certain  Jews  from  Asia  Minor,  seeing  him  in  the  temple,  stirred  up 
the  people,  and  laid  hands  on  him,  crying  out,  "  Men  of  Israel  help  ! 
This  is  the  man  who  preaches  everywhere  against  this  holy  place 
and  the  law."  And  the  whole  city  was  moved,  and  the  people  ran 
together.  They  dragged  Paul  out  of  the  temple,  fell  to  beating 
him,  and  would  have  killed  him,  had  he  not  been  rescued  by  the 
chief  captain  of  the  temple — a  Roman  Military  officer — and  his 
soldiers.  The  chief  captain  took  Paul,  bound  him,  and  was  in  the 
act  of  carrying  him  into  the  castle  Antonia,  which  stood  near  the 
temple  ;  but  when  he  came  upon  the  stairs,  Paul  asked  and  ob- 
tained permission  to  address  the  people.  And  here  he  delivered  to 
the  excited  multitude,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  one  of  his  most 
eloquent  and  powerful  speeches,  recorded  in  the  tAventy -second 
chapter  of  Acts.  He  spoke  of  his  birth,  of  his  education  at  the 
feet  of  Gamaliel,  of  his  zeal  in  persecuting  the  church,  of  his 
sudden  and  surprising  conversion,  and  of  the  commission  he  had 
received  to  preach  the   gospel  to  the  Gentiles.     They  heard  him 


522  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

patiently  till  he  came  to  this  point — the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
to  the  Gentiles — when  they  broke  out  uf)on  him  with  great  vio- 
lence, crying,  "  Away  with  this  fellow  from  the  earth  ;  for  it  is  not 
meet  that  he  should  live  I  " 

aS'. — What  did  the  chief  captain  do  in  this  emergency  ? 

F. — He  took  Paul  into  the  castle,  and  was  about  to  examine  him 
hj  scourging ;  but  Paul  pleaded  his  Eoman  citizenship,  and  so 
escaped  the  infliction.  The  next  day,  the  chief  captain  brought 
Paul  before  the  Jewish  rulers,  that  he  might  know  what  were  their 
charges  against  him  ;  but  the  assembly  broke  up  in  confusion,  with- 
out coming  to  any  decision.  The  next  night,  Paul  was  favored 
with  a  vision  of  his  ascended  Lord,  who  stood  by  him  and  said, 
"Be  of  good  cheer,  Paul;  for  as  thou  hast  testified  of  me  at  Jeru- 
salem, so  thou  must  bear  witness  at  Rome." 

When  the  captain  of  the  temple  learned  the  next  morning  that 
the  Jews  were  lying  in  wait  for  Paul,  and  that  more  than  forty  of 
them  had  bound  themselves,  with  an  oath,  not  to  eat  or  drink  till 
they  had  killed  him,  he  resolved,  at  once,  that  he  would  send  him 
away,  under  a  strong  military  guard,  to  Felix,  the  Roman  governor, 
who  dwelt  at  Csesarea.  And  all  this  was  successfully  accomplished. 
Paul  was  safely  lodged  in  Herod's  judgment  hall  at  Csesarea,  wait- 
ing for  his  accusers  to  come  and  implead  him. " 

>S'. — Did  they  come  ? 

F. — Yes  ;  and  Paul  boldly  confronted  them,  and  refuted  their 
false,  and  malicious  charges.  Here  he  preached  so  pointedly  to 
Felix  of  righteousness,  temperance,  and  a  judgment  to  come,  that 
the  governor  trembled.  Still,  Paul  was  not  released.  He  was 
retained  a  prisoner  in  the  expectation  that  he  would  ere  long  con- 
sent to  purchase  his  liberty  with  a  bribe. 

S. — How  long  was  Paul  a  prisoner  here  ? 

F. — Two  years  and  more.  At  the  end  of  two  years,  Felix  Avas 
displaced  by  Nero,  and  Pontius  Festus  was  made  governor  in  his 
room.  To  him  the  Jewish  rulers  made  an  earnest  appeal,  entreat- 
ing that  Paul  might  be  sent  back  to  Jerusalem,  to  be  tried  accord- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  523 

ing  to  the  Jewish  hxw.  When  the  governor  laid  this  proposition 
before  Paul,  he  firmly  replied :  "•  I  stand  at  Caesar's  judgment  seat, 
where  I  ought  to  be  judged.  I  have  done  nothing  against  the  Jews 
worthy  of  death  or  of  bonds ;  and  I  will  not  be  delivered  into  their 
hands.  /  appeal  unto  Coisar.  Then  Festus  answered,  "  Hast  thou 
appealed  unto  Csesar?     Unto  Csesar  shalt  thou  go." 

S. — Before  whom  did  Paul  next  plead  his  cause  ? 

F. — Before  King  Agrippa,  who  had  come  down  to  Csesarea  to 
salute  Festus.  Festus  brought  before  him  the  case  of  Paul,  and  the 
king  expressed  a  desire  to  hear  him.  So  Paul  was  brought  before 
the  king,  the  governor,  and  all  the  nobility  of  the  province,  and 
there  made  a  speech — an  apology  for  himself.  This  speech  is  given 
entire  in  the  twenty-sixth  chapter  of  the  Acts,  and  has  been  justly 
regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  popular  eloquence.  The 
result  was,  that  King  Agrippa  was  almost  persuaded  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian ;  and  all  Avere  agreed  that  Paul  might  be  set  at  liberty,  had  he 
not  appealed  unto  Caesar. 

S. — We  come  now  to  Paul's  voyage  into  Italy:  Please  state 
some  of  the  leading  incidents  of  it. 

F. — He  was  accompanied  by  Luke  and  other  Christian  friends ; 
also  by  other  prisoners.  The  prisoners,  among  whom  was  Paul, 
were  entrusted  to  the  charge  of  a  centurion  w^hose  name  Avas  Justus. 
They  embarked  early  in  September,  and,  sailing  northerly,  touched 
at  Sidon,  AA'here  Paul  was  permitted  to  go  ashore,  and  visit  his 
friends.  Thence  they  passed  by  the  eastern  end  of  Cvprus,  not  far 
from  Antioch  in  Syria  ;  then  turning  their  course  Avestward,  they 
sailed  along  the  borders  of  Cilicia  and  Pamphylia  to  Myra,  a  city  of 
Lycia.  Here  they  AA-ere  put  aboard  of  another  atsscI  ;  and,  coast- 
ing along  the  shores  of  Asia,  they  came  as  far  as  Cnidus,  opposite 
the  island  of  Rhodes.  A  contrary  Avind  now  arose,  AA-hich  drove 
them,  in  a  south-Avesterly  direction,  upon  the  isle  of  Crete.  They 
touched  at  Fairhaven,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  Crete,  and  Paul 
advised  them  to  Avinter  there  ;  but,  as  the  harbor  AA-as  not  com- 
modious, it  Avas  resolved  to  sail  a  hundred  miles  further,  to  Phenice, 


524  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

on  the  south-western  shore  of  the  island.  But  no  sooner  had  they 
embarked,  than  they  encountered  a  tempestuous  wind  which  ren- 
dered the  ship  wholly  unmanageable;  and  so  they  were  tossed 
about,  without  sun  or  stars,  not  knowing  which  way  they  were 
drifting,  for  a  long  time.  After  about  fourteen  days,  they  were 
wrecked  on  the  island  of  Melita,  now  Malta,  having  been  driven,  in 
a  westerly  direction,  across  the  entire  Adriatic  sea. 

S. — How  long  were  the  ship's  company  detained  at  Malta  ? 

F. — About  three  months,  in  which  time  Paul  healed  many  that 
were  sick,  and  did  all  in  his  power  to  inculcate  and  commend  the 
gospel.  They  at  length  embarked  in  a  ship  of  Alexandria ;  and 
having  touched  at  Syracuse,  and  then  at  Rhegium,  they  left  the 
ship  at  Puteoli,  where  they  tarried  with  Christian  brethren  seven 
days.  Thence  they  pursued  their  journey  by  land,  and  were  met 
and  cordially  greeted  by  brethren  from  Rome,  some  fifty  miles  from 
the  city.  Cheered  and  encouraged  by  these  tokens  of  regard,  Paul 
and  his  company  were  conducted  in  a  kind  of  triumph  into  the 
city.  The  prisoners  were  delivered  by  the  centurion  to  the  captain 
of  the  guard ;  but  instead  of  being  lodged,  with  the  rest,  in  the 
common  prison,  Paul  was  permitted  to  live  in  his  own  hired  house. 
He  was,  to  be  sure,  encumbered  with  a  chain,  but  he  had  a  degree 
of  liberty,  and  received  all  who  came  unto  him. 

S. — How  was  Paul  occupied  during  his  long  imprisonment  at 
Rome  ? 

F. — The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  call  the  chief  men  of  the  Jews 
together,  acquaint  them  with  the  cause  of  his  being  sent  there  a 
prisoner,  and  assured  them  that  he  had  no  charge  to  prefer  against 
his  nation.  As  they  expressed  a  wish  to  hear  him  concerning  the 
faith  in  Christ,  he  appointed  them  a  day,  when  they  came  in  great 
numbers  to  his  lodgings ;  and  he  reasoned  with  them  out  of  the 
Scriptures  from  morning  till  night.  Some  listened  to  him  and 
believed  the  things  that  were  spoken,  while  others  rejected  them. 

S. — How  was  Paul  occupied  during  his  imprisonment  ? 

F. — While  a  prisoner  at  Rome,  Paul  wrote  several  of  his  Epistles 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  525 

to  individuals  and  to  the  churches.  We  might  never  have  had 
these  excellent  Epistles  but  for  his  long  confinement.  He  contin- 
ued to  teach  and  preach  the  things  concerning  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  laboring  as  best  he  could  with  the  incumbrance  of  a  chain. 
Many  were  converted  through  his  instrumentality,  among  whom 
were  some  of  Caesar's  household. 

The  Christians  at  Philippi,  hearing  of  Paul's  imprisonment,  and 
fearing  that  he  might  be  in  want,  got  up  a  contribution  for  him, 
and  sent  it  by  Epaphroditus,  one  of  their  ministers.  Epaphroditus 
fell  sick  at  Rome  ;  but  after  his  recovery,  he  returned  to  his  charge, 
carrying  with  him  the  Epistle  to  the  Philippians. 

S. — By  what  means  did  the  Apostle  obtain  his  liberty  ? 

F. — We  are  not  informed.  It  may  have  been  through  the  inter- 
cession of  some  of  Caesar's  household  who  had  been  converted 
through  his  means. 

S, — Do  we  know  what  course  Paul  pursued,  and  where  he 
labored,  after  his  enlargement  ? 

F. — Not  certainly.  My  own  opinion  is,  that  he  first  traveled 
eastward,  visiting  many  of  the  churches  in  Macedonia,  Greece,  Asia 
Minor,  and  Syria.  He  may  have  carried  out  his  expressed  design 
of  visiting  Palestine  (Heb.  xiii.  23).  It  was  during  this  tour,  that 
he  left  his  cloak  and  his  parchments  at  Troas  (2  Tim.  iv.  13).  This 
was  also  the  time  of  his  mission  to  Crete,  where  he  left  Titus  to 
organize  and  regulate  the  churches  after  his  departure.  Returning 
from  the  East,  Paul  may  have  accomplished  his  long  cherished 
purpose  of  visiting  Spain  and  Gaul.  We  have  no  notice  of  this  in 
the  Scriptures,  but  it  accords  well  with  the  enterprising  spirit  of 
the  Apostle,  and  also  with  the  testimony  of  the  Roman  Clement,  a 
companion  of  Paul,  who  perfectly  knew  his  personal  history.  He 
tells  us  that  Paul  did  publish  the  gospel  "  to  the  uttermost  regions 
of  the  west." 

S. — Was  Paul  imprisoned  a  second  time  ? 

F. — He  was.  He  returned  to  Rome  about  the  year  64,  when  the 
Neronian  persecution  was  about  to  commence.     He  was  imprisoned 


526  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

soon  after,  but  not  as  before.  He  was  placed  in  close  confine- 
ment— so  close  that  good  Onesiphorus  was  under  the  necessity 
of  searchiug  diligently  for  him  in  order  to  find  him  (2  Tim.  i. 
17). 

S. — During  this  terrible  confinement,  did  Paul's  bretliren  at 
Rome  stand  by  him  and  encourage  him  ? 

F, — I  fear  not.  It  was  a  time  of  dreadful  persecution,  and  his 
more  timid  brethren  were  concealed.  "  At  my  first  answer,  no 
man  stood  with  me,  but  all  men  forsook  me  "  (2  Tim.  ix.  10). 

S. — Was  Peter  at  this  time  at  Rome  ? 

F. — The  Scriptures  give  no  intimation  of  it.  The  tradition  is 
that  he  was  there,  and  that  the  two  Apostles  suffered  martyrdom 
together.  Peter  was  crucified,  but  Paul,  on  account  of  his  being 
a  Roman  citizen,  was  not  exposed  upon  the  cross:  He  was  be- 
headed. He  is  said  to  have  been  buried  about  two  miles  from  the 
city,  and  over  his  grave  a  splendid  church  was  raised  by  Constan- 
tine,  about  the  year  318. 

S. — What  accounts  have  come  down  to  us  as  to  the  personal 
appearance  of  Paul  ? 

F. — The  ancients  represent  him  as  a  man  of  small  stature,  and 
somewhat  stooping ;  his  complexion  was  fair,  his  ej^es  bright  and 
intelligent,  his  nose  aquiline,  his  brows  thick  and  shaggy,  and  his 
hair  and  beard,  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  sprinkled  with 
gray.  His  age  cannot  be  certainly  ascertained.  He  must  have 
been  more  than  sixty  at  his  death,  having  been  born  only  a  few 
months  later  than  Christ. 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  as  to  the  character  of  Paul  ? 

F. — We  can  judge  of  his  character  only  by  his  writings  and 
works.  That  he  had  a  vigorous  intellect,  well  sharpened  by  early 
training  and  culture,  no  one  can  doubt.  His  emotional  nature  was 
impulsive,  strong,  and  deeply  sanctified.  He  had  a  great  and  a 
good  heart.  Though,  for  the  gospel's  sake,  he  would  not  suffer 
his  apostolical  claims  to  be  called  in  question,  he  was  a  truly 
humble  man.     He  spoke  the  feelings  of  his  heart  when  he  said,  "  I 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  527 

am  the  least  of  the  Apostles,  and  am  not  meet  to  be  called  an 
Ai:)ostle,  because  I  persecuted  the  church  of  God." 

Plis  kindness  and  charity  were  admirable,  even  towards  those 
who  were  his  personal  enemies.  "  I  speak  the  truth  in  Christ,  I 
lie  not,  my  conscience  also  bearing  me  witness,  that  I  have  great 
heaviness  and  continual  sorrow  in  my  heart,  for  my  brethren,  my 
kinsfolk,  according  to  the  flesh." 

The  zeal  and  enterprise  of  the  Apostle,  his  activity  in  publishing 
the  gospel  and  gathering  sinners  into  the  fold  of  Christ,  were 
unparalleled.  By  night  and  by  day,  on  the  land  and  on  the  deep, 
he  was  instant  in  season  and  out  of  season,  reproving,  rebuking, 
exhorting  every  man,  that  lie  might  present  them  faultless  before 
the  judgment  seat.  For  more  than  thirty  years  after  his  conver- 
sion, he  was  seldom  long  in  one  place.  From  Jerusalem  round 
about  unto  Illyricum,  and  then  to  Rome,  and  "to  the  utmost 
boundaries  of  the  west,"  he  fully  preached  the  gospel  of  Christ ; 
"  running,"  says  Jerome,  "  like  the  sun  in  the  heavens  ;  sooner 
wanting  ground  to  tread  upon,  than  a  desire  to  j)ropagate  the  faith 
of  Christ."  While  the  other  Apostles  were  laborious  men,  Paul 
says  truly,  though  not  boastfully:  "I  labored  more  abundantly  than 
they  all." 

>S'. — And  what  shall  be  said  of  his  patience  and  fortitude  in 
meeting  and  overcoming  trials  ? 

F. — He  was  an  eminent  example  of  these  cardinal  graces.  His 
perils  and  sufferings  were  perpetual.  A  thousand  times  his  life 
was  at  stake.  Everywhere  he  manifested  that  he  counted  not  his 
life  dear  unto  himself,  that  he  might  accomplish  the  ministry  he 
had  received,  and  finish  his  course  with  joy. 

Though  Paul  has  long  been  dead,  his  influence  can  never  die. 
It  still  lives  in  his  example,  his  writings  and  his  works,  and  will 
continue  to  live  on  earth,  and  in  heavenly  places  forever.  Of  all 
the  mere  men  that  have  ever  dwelt  upon  the  earth,  to  no  two  is 
the  world  so  much  indebted  as  to  Moses  and  Paul.  Nor  can  we 
ever    sufiiciently    admire    the   providence    and   grace    of  God,   in 


528  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

making  a  thorough-bred  and  bigoted  Jew  the  principal  means  of 
deliverance  from  Jewish  rites ;  and  making  the  earliest  and  most 
violent  persecutor  of  Christianity  such  an  eminent  instrument  in 
spreading  Cliristianity  throughout  the  earth. 


CONVERSATION  X. 

COMPANIONS  OF  THE  APOSTLES.— Mark.— His  connection  with  the  Apostles.— 
Manner  of  his  cruel  death. — Luke. — The  beloved  physician. — His  a.ssociation  with  Paul. 
—  Barnabas. — Born  in  Cyprus. — His  early  acquaintance  with  Paul. — Their  separation. 
— Timothy. — Early  piety. — Paul  his  teacher  in  Christianity. — Accompanies  him. — 
Titus. — Anotlier  of  Paul's  Evangelists. — Supposed  to  have  been  bishop  of  Crete. 

Son. — Who  were  the  companions  of  the  Apostles  ? 

Father. — The  companions  of  the  Apostles  were  that  corps  of 
evangelists  who  generally  attended  them,  and  labored  under  their 
direction.  Prominent  among  them  were  Mark,  Luke,  Barnabas, 
Timoth}^  and  Titus. 

I.    MARK. 

*S'. — Were  there  not  two  men  among  the  Evangelists  by  the  name 
of  IMark  ? 

F. — Tliere  were  two.  The  first  was  a  relative  and  assistant  of 
the  Apostle  Peter;  the  second  was  John  Mark,  a  sister's  son  of 
Barnabas.  Eusebius  tells  us  that  the  first  Mark  was  early  sent  by 
Peter  into  Egj^pt,  and  there  planted  the  great  church  of  Alexan- 
dria. He  Avas  instrumental  in  leading  many  in  that  city  to  em- 
brace the  Christian  faith.  When  Peter  came,  or  was  carried  to 
Rome,  near  the  close  of  life,  Mark  is  supposed  to  have  been  with 
him,  and  there, — at  the  request  of  the  Roman  church,  and  under 
the  direction  of  Peter, — to  have  written  his  gospel.  It  is  virtually 
Peter's  gospel — the  account  of  our  Lord's  life,  labors,  sufferings, 
and  deatli,  Avhich  Peter  was  accustomed  to  relate  in  his  discourses, 
— although  it  bears  the  name  of  Mark. 

S. — After  the  martja'dom  of  Peter,  what  became  of  Mark  ? 

F. — He  is  supposed  to  have  returned  to  Alexandria,  where  he 
was  greatly  instrumental  in  guiding  and  building  up  the  church 
which  he  had  before  planted.  And  here  he,  at  length,  obtained 
the  crown  of  martyrdom.  The  idolaters  of  the  city  broke  in 
upon  him,  while  engaged  in  the  solemnities  of  Divine  worship, 
bound  his  feet  with  chords,  and  dragged  him  through  the  streets 


630  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  the  city,  until  his  flesh  was  literally  torn  from  his  bocl}^  and 
he  expired.  This  is  supposed  to  have  taken  place  about  the 
year  70. 

S. — What  can  you  tell  us  of  John  Mark,  the  nephew  of  Bar- 
nabas ? 

F. — His  home  was  at  Jerusalem,  and  his  mother's  name  was 
Mar}^  It  was  at  her  house  that  the  disciples  were  assembled  when 
Peter,  having  been  rescued  from  prison  by  an  angel,  came  and 
knocked  at  the  door  for  admittance  (Acts  xii.  12).  When  Paul 
and  Barnabas  set  forth  on  their  first  mission  to  the  heathen,  they 
took  Mark  with  them  as  an  assistant;  but  when  they  reached 
Perga  in  Pamphylia,  he  became  discouraged  and  turned  back  to 
Jerusalem.  When  they  were  about  to  enter  upon  their  second 
mission,  Barnabas  was  minded  to  try  Mark  again  ;  but  "  Paul 
thought  it  not  good  to  take  him  with  them,  who  departed  from 
them  in  Pamphylia,  and  went  not  with  them  to  the  work."  It 
was  on  this  account  that  the  two  missionaries  separated,  Paul 
taking  Silas  and  going  one  way,  and  Barnabas  and  Mark  another. 

S. — At  a  later  period,  did  not  Paul  think  better  of  John  Mark  ? 

F. — Yes ;  he  seems  to  have  recovered  the  good  opinion  of  Paul ; 
for  he  mentions  him  to  the  Colossians  as  "  a  fellow  worker  unto 
the  kingdom  of  Christ,  who  has  been  a  comfort  unto  me  ; "  and  in 
his  last  letter  to  Timothy,  Paul  says,  "  Take  Mark  and  bring  him 
with  thee  ;  for  he  is  profitable  to  me  for  the  ministry  "  (Col.  iv. 
11,  2  Tim.  iv.  11).  We  hear  nothing  further  of  John  Mark  in  the 
New  Testament,  but  may  hope,  from  the  favorable  mention  of  him 
by  Paul,  that  he  proved  a  faithful  minister  of  Christ,  and  finished 
his  course  with  joy. 

II.   LUKE. 

>S'. — Of  Luke's  history,  how  much  can  you  give  us  ? 

F. — Luke  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  proselyte  of  Antioch,  and 
to  have  been  converted  to  Christ  under  the  searching  ministry  of 
Barnabas  and  Paul.  That  he  was  an  adept  in  Grecian  learning, 
as  well  as  a  "beloved  physician,"  his  works  declare.     He  became 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  531 

a  companion  and  follower  of  Paul  during  his  second  mission  to 
the  lieathen.  From  this  period,  he  seems  to  have  generally 
attended  the  Apostle  almost  to  the  close  of  his  earthly  labors. 
Paul  gratefully  acknowledges  him  as  his  "  fellow-laborer  "—  as  "  the 
brother  whose  praise  is  in  all  the  churches."  He  frequently  men- 
tions him  in  his  Epistles,  and  uniformly  speaks  of  him  with  affec- 
tion and  confidence. 

S. — When  did  Luke  write  his  gospel  ? 

F. — It  is  impossible  to  say  when.  He  had  had  abundant  oppor- 
tunities for  information  from  those  who,  "  from  the  beginning,  were 
eye-witnesses  and  ministers  of  the  word,"  and  "had  a  perfect 
understanding  of  all  things  from  the  very  first ; "  add  to  this,  he 
wrote  under  the  inspection  of  Paul,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Both  his  Gospel,  and  the  Acts,  Luke  addresses  "  to  the 
most  excellent  Theophilus,"  who  was  probably  some  distinguished 
Christian  brother  and  patron  at  Antioch. 

S. — In  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  how  far  is  the  history  of  the 
church  continued  ? 

F. — To  the  close  of  Paul's  first  imprisonment  at  Rome.  Why 
the  writer  did  not  pursue  the  narrative  further,  I  am  unable  to 
say.  I  should  conclude  that  he  died  about  that  time,  but  that  we 
find  him  still  associated  with  Paul,  when  the  second  Epistle  to 
Timothy  was  written,  which  was  during  Paul's  second  imprison- 
ment, and  a  little  while  before  his  death.  Whether  Luke  survived 
Paul,  and  if  so,  where  he  labored  afterwards,  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing.  We  know  that  he  was  a  learned  and  faithful  man,  and 
a  devoted  Christian,  whose  waitings  will  be  read  and  pondered,  and 
whose  memory  will  be  honored,  to  the  end  of  time. 

III.      BARNASAS. 

*S'. — How  mucli  do  we  know  of  Barnabas  ? 

F. — Though  he  has  left  us  no  writings  wdiich  are  of  Divine 
authority,  he  was  an  honored  minister  and  missionar}'  of  the 
Apostolic  age.     He  was  a  Levite,  born  and  brought  up  in  Cyprus,  a 


532  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

large  island  in  the  north-easterly  part  of  the  Mediterranean  sea. 
We  first  hear  of  him  at  Jerusalem,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  or  a 
little  later.  He  was  then  a  decided  self-sacrificing  believer,  who 
sold  his  property  for  the  common  weal,  brought  out  the  proceeds, 
and  laid  them  at  the  disciples'  feet. 

^S'. — For  Avhat  is  Barnabas  chiefly  celebrated? 

F. — For  his  early  and  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  AjDostle 
Paul.  They  may  have  been  students  together  at  the  feet  of  Gama- 
liel, before  either  of  them  was  converted.  Upon  Paul's  first  visit 
to  Jerusalem  after  his  conversion,  when  the  disciples  generally  were 
afraid  of  him,  Barnabas  took  him  and  brought  him  to  the  Apostles, 
and  satisfied  them  as  to  the  reality  of  his  change.  When  news  of  the 
great  revival  at  Antioch  reached  Jerusalem,  the  Apostles  sent  forth 
Barnabas  that  he  should  go  and  labor  there  ;  but  finding  the  work 
beyond  his  strength,  he  went  to  Tarsus  to  secure  the  assistance  of 
Paul.  When  they  had  labored  together  a  whole  year  at  Antioch, 
they  were  summoned  to  go  forth  on  their  first  mission  to  the 
heathen.  This  being  accomplished,  they  returned  to  Antioch,  and 
reported  to  their  brethren  all  that  God  had  done  to  them  and  by 
them. 

S. — What  important  question  came  up  during  their  stay  at 
Antioch  ? 

F. — That  respecting  the  circumcision  of  the  Gentile  converts. 
Being  unable  to  settle  this  question  among  themselves,  Paul  and 
Barnabas  went  up  with  it  to  the  Apostles  and  elders,  and  the 
church  at  Jerusalem.  The  decision  of  the  Apostles  was  against 
the  circumcision  of  the  Gentile  converts. 

aS'. — On  what  account  did  Barnabas  separate  from  Paul  ? 

F. — On  their  return  from  the  conference  at  Jerusalem,  Paul  and 
Barnabas  projected  another  mission  to  the  heathen;  but  as  they 
could  not  agree  in  regard  to  the  person  to  be  taken  Avith  them  as 
an  assistant,  they  separated  one  from  the  other ;  and  we  hear  little 
of  Barnabas  in  sacred  story  afterwards.  We  know  that  "  he  was  a 
good  man,  full  of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  that  he  wore 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  533 

out  his  life  in  the  service  of  the  gospel ;  but  where  he  labored,  and 
when  and  how  he  died,  we  cannot  tell.  There  is  extant  an  Epistle 
bearing  his  name  ;  but,  though  a  very  ancient  writing,  I  could  never 
persuade  myself  that  Barnabas  wrote  it.  It  is  addressed  chiefl}^  to 
Jews,  with  the  design  of  drawing  them  off  from  the  letter  of  the 
law  to  a  more  spiritual  understanding  of  it.  It  is  full  of  allegorical 
interpretations,  and  is  unworthy  of  the  name  of  Barnabas. 

IV.    TIMOTHY. 

S. — "When  do  we  first  hear  of  Timothy  ? 

F. — It  was  at  Derbe  or  Lj-stra,  during  Paul's  second  missionary 
tour  in  Asia.  He  was  probably  converted  at  the  time  of  Paul's  first 
visit.  His  father  was  a  Gentile  ;  but  his  grandmother  Lois  and  his 
mother  Eunice  were  of  Jewish  descent,  and  both  had  been  con- 
verted to  the  faith  of  the  gospel.  They  had  taken  much  pains  in 
the  education  of  Timothy  who,  "  from  a  child,  had  known  the  holy 
Scriptures."  When  Paul  came  to  Lystra  the  second  time,  he  was 
struck  with  the  attainments  and  gifts  of  young  Timoth}';  and, 
hearing  him  well  reported  of  by  all  the  brethren,  he  resolved  to  take 
him  with  him  as  a  helper  in  the  missionary  work.  And  the  better 
to  prepare  him  for  such  an  undertaking,  he  circumcised  him  ;  not 
that  he  laid  any  stress  upon  this  Jewish  rite,  but  that  Timothy 
might  labor  with  less  prejudice  among  the  Jews.  He  was  subse- 
quentl}'  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  by  the  laying  on  of 
the  hands  of  the  presbytery.  From  this  time,  we  find  him  almost 
continually  with  Paul,  or  laboring  under  his  direction.  The  Apostle 
calls  him  his  own  son,  his  brother,  his  yoke-fellow ;  and  declares  that 
he  has  no  one  so  much  united  with  him  in  mind  and  heart  as  Timothy. 

>S'. — Can  you  mention  more  particularly  Timothy's  labors  and 
travels,  in  connection  with  Paul  ? 

F. — Timothy  accompanied  the  Apostle  on  his  first  visit  to  ]Mace- 
donia — to  Philippi,  to  Thessalonica,  and  to  Berea ;  and  when  Paul 
departed  from  Berea  to  go  into  Greece,  he  left  Silas  and  Timothy 
behind,  to  strengthen  and  establish  the  new  converts.     At  Athens, 

33 


534  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

Paul  sent  for  tliem  to  come  to  him ;  and  wlien  they  had  come,  and 
had  given  him  an  account  of  the  distressed  condition  of  the 
churches  in  Macedonia,  Paul  sent  Timothy  back  to  them ;  whence 
he  afterwards  returned,  and  came  to  Paul  at  Corinth  (1  Thess. 
iii.  2).  Here  he  remained  with  the  Apostles  more  than  a  year ;  and 
Paul  mentions  both  him  and  Silas  in  the  inscriptions  of  the  two 
Epistles  which  he  sent  from  Corinth  to  the  Thessalonians. 

When  Paul  left  Corinth,  he  came  back  into  Asia,  and  hurried 
forward  to  Jerusalem,  that  he  might  be  present  at  the  Passover. 
From  Jerusalem,  he  came  back  to  Antioch,  and  thence  to  Ephesus, 
where  he  remained  more  than  two  years.  From  Ephesus  Paul  was 
at  length  driven  by  a  mob,  got  up  by  the  silversmiths ;  and  leaving 
Timothy  behind  him,  he  passed  over  into  Macedonia.  It  was  at 
this  time  that  he  wrote  his  first  Epistle  to  Timothy.  Timothy  soon 
followed  his  great  leader  into  Macedonia ;  for  in  the  inscription  to 
the  second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  written  at  this  time,  we  find 
his  name  associated  with  that  of  Paul.  In  company  with  Timothy, 
Paul  now  visited  Corinth,  taking  up  contributions  for  the  poor 
saints  at  Jerusalem.  Paul  was  now  projecting  a  journey  to  Jeru- 
salem, taking  with  him  the  money  which  he  had  collected.  He 
went  back  through  Macedon,  sailed  over  to  Troas,  and  touched  at 
Miletus,  where  he  sent  for  the  elders  of  the  Ephesian  church,  and 
delivered  unto  them  his  parting  words.  Thence  he  went  forward, 
by  easy  stages,  to  Jerusalem, — whence  he  was  sent  a  prisoner  to 
Cgesarea,  and  afterwards  to  Rome. 

S. — Is  it  likely  that  Timothy  accompanied  Paul  in  all  these  jour- 
neys, and  in  his  long  confinements  at  Ccesarea  and  at  Rome  ? 

F. — The  probability  is  that  he  did ;  as  we  know  that  he  was 
with  the  Apostle  at  Rome.  Indeed,  he  was  himself  a  prisoner  at 
Rome  during  a  part  of  the  two  years  that  Paul  was  there ;  for  in 
the  conclusion  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  the  writer  says : 
"  Know  ye  that  our  brother  Timothy  is  set  at  liberty  ?  " 

S. — Can  we  be  certain  as  to  the  movements  of  Paul  and  Tim- 
othy, after  their  liberation  at  Rome  ? 


CONVERSATIOyS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  635 

F. — We  cannot.  The  probcability  is  that  tliey  journeyed  east- 
ward, through  Macedonia,  Greece,  Asia  Minor,  and  perhaps  Pales- 
tine, visiting  and  strengthening  the  churches  they  had  pLanted. 
Then  they  may  have  visited  Crete  ;  for  I  cannot  find  that  Paul  was 
at  Crete,  to  make  any  stop  there,  at  an  earlier  period.  Thence 
they  may  have  passed  over  into  Gaul  and  Spain,  and  came  back  to 
Rome  about  the  year  64  or  65.  The  Neronian  persecution  was  now 
raging,  and  Paul  was  made  a  close  prisoner.  It  was  during  this  im- 
prisonment that  he  wrote  his  second  Epistle  to  Timothy — the  last 
that  he  ever  wrote.  Timothy  was  now  in  Asia  Minor — perhaps  at 
Troas.  He  was  urged  to  visit  the  Apostle  quickly,  and  to  bring 
with  him  his  master's  cloak,  his  books,  and  his  parchments.  If 
Timothy  complied  with  this  injunction, — as  he  certainly  would,  if 
it  were  possil)le, — he  may  have  witnessed  the  martyrdom  of   Paul. 

S. — Much  is  said,  in  certain  quarters,  about  Timothy  as  the  first 
bishop  of  Ephesus.     Is  this  likely  to  be  true  ? 

F. — The  supposition  has  no  foundation  in  the  Scriptures.  In- 
deed, it  is  contradicted  by  the  entire  history  of  Timothy,  as  given 
in  the  Bible.  Timothy  was  not  a  bishop  anywhere.  He  never 
had,  so  far  as  we  know,  the  supervision  of  any  particular  church  or 
flock.  He  is  expressly  called  an  evangelist ;  but  an  evangelist  in 
the  primitive  church  was  an  itinerant,  a  missionary,  who  labored, 
usually,  in  connection  with  some  one  of  the  Apostles,  and  under 
his  direction. 

Of  the  life  of  Timothy,  after  the  death  of  Paul,  we  have  no  cer- 
tain information.  He  was  a  faithful  man,  a  devoted  servant  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  no  doubt  died  triumphantly ;  but  whether 
he  died  a  natural  death,  or  fell  by  martyrdom,  we  cannot  decide. 

V.    TITUS. 

S. — Titus,  we  know,  was  one  of  Paul's  evangelists.  What  can 
you  tell  us  of  his  personal  history? 

F. — He  was  a  Gentile,  and  was  converted  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  Paul,  who  calls  him  his  son.     (Tit.  i.  4.)  Paul  took 


536  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


him  with  him  when  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem  on  the  question  of  cir- 
cumcising the  Gentile  converts.  Some  would  then  have  con- 
strained him  to  circumcise  Titus,  but  neither  he  nor  Titus  would 
consent. 

S. — After  this,  do  we  know  much  of  the  history  of  Titus  ? 

F. — We  do  not,  at  least  for  several  years ;  but  after  Paul's  release 
from  his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome,  when  he  undertook  his  mission 
to  Crete,  we  find  Titus  with  him ;  and  when  Paul  was  called  away 
from  Crete,  he  left  Titus  there,  "  to  set  in  order  the  things  that 
were  wanting,  and  ordain  elders  in  every  city." 

^._Was  Titus  bishop  of  Crete  ? 

F. — This  has  been  often  affirmed ;  but  the  truth  is,  he  was  not  a 
bishop  anywhere.  Like  Philip,  and  Timothj^,  and  a  great  many 
others,  he  was  an  evangelist.  His  residence  at  Crete,  when  left 
there  by  Paul,  was  very  short ;  for  only  a  little  while  after,  Paul 
writes  to  Timothy,  "  Titus  is  gone  to  Dalmatia,"  a  great  way  from 
Crete.  As  to  the  remainder  of  Titus'  life,  and  the  manner  of  his 
death,  we  have  no  information. 


CONVERSATION  XI. 

THE  EPISTLES  OF  PAUL— Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians.— Location  of  the  church.— 
Object  of  the  first  and  second  Epistles  to  the  Thessalonians. — The  letter  to  the  Galar 
tians. — Great  need  of  this  letter. — Galatia  and  why  so  called. — Paul's  defense  of  his 
apostleship. — Proof  of  his  commission. — His  apostleshlp  called  in  question. 

So7i. — How  many  of  Paul's  Epistles  have  we  in  our  Bible  ? 

Father. — Fourteen  in  all, — including  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
which  I  cannot  doubt  was  written  by  Paul.  I  propose  to  give 
you  some  account  of  these  Epistles,  and  in  the  order  in  which  they 
were  written. 

I.    riEST   EPISTLE   TO   THE   THESSALONIANS. 

S. — Where  was  Thessalonica  ? 

F. — It  was  a  sea-port  of  Macedonia,  situated  on  the  gulf  of  Thessa- 
lonica, and  was  a  place  of  much  commercial  importance.  It  is 
still  a  large  city  called  Saloniki.  At  the  time  of  Paul's  visit,  it  was 
subject  to  the  Romans,  and  was  inhabited  by  Greeks,  Italians,  and 
Jews. 

S. — By  whom  was  the  gospel  first  preached  in  this  city  ? 

F. — It  was  first  preached  here,  so  far  as  we  know,  by  Paul  and 
Silas.  After  their  release  from  prison  at  Philippi,  they  came  to 
Thessalonica,  where  was  a  synagogue  of  the  Jews.  "  And  Paul,  as 
his  manner  was,  went  in  unto  them,  and  three  Sabbath  daj'S  reasoned 
with  them  out  of  the  Scriptures,  opening  and  alleging  that  Christ 
must  needs  have  suffered,  and  risen  again  from  the  dead,  and  that 
this  Jesus,  whom  I  preach  unto  you  is  Christ.  And  some  of  them 
believed  and  consorted  with  Paul  and  Silas ;  and  of  the  devout 
Greeks  a  great  mvdtitiule,  and  of  the  chief  women  not  a  few " 
(Acts.  xvii.  2-4). 

S. — Who  were  the  "devout  Greeks"  here  spoken  of? 

F. — I  suppose  they  were  either  proselytes  to  the  Jews'  religion, 
or  Greeks  who  were  so  far  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  Jews' 


538  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

religion  as  to  have  renounced  idolatry,  and  were  permitted  to  wor- 
ship in  the  synagogue.  It  was  from  these  converts,  made  in  the 
synagogue,  that  the  Thessalonian  church  seems  to  have  been 
gathered. 

S. — How  long  did  Paul  remain  at  Thessalonica  ? 

F. — We  do  not  certainly  know, — long  enough  for  him  to  receive 
repeated  supplies  from  Philippi  (Phil.  iv.  16), — long  enough  to 
excite  a  great  tumult  and  mob,  from  which  he  deemed  it  prudent 
to  retire  (Acts.  xvii.  5). 

^S'. —  On  leaving  Thessalonica,  where  did  Paul  go  ? 

F. — First,  to  Berea,  then  to  Athens,  and  then  to  Corinth.  It  was 
from  Corinth  that  the  first  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians  was  written, 
about  the  year  52. 

S. — What  was  there  in  the  circumstances  of  the  Thessalonian 
converts  which  made  it  necessary  for  the  Apostle  to  write  them  at 
this  time  ? 

F. — They  were  made  up  of  diverse  materials ;  they  had  been  but 
recently  converted ;  their  great  teacher  had  been  rudely  and  sud- 
denly driven  from  them  ;  they  were  exposed  to  much  opposition 
and  to  many  trials ;  and  they  needed  special  instruction  and 
encouragement,  that  they  might  be  kej^t  from  apostasy,  and  live  and 
be  a  blessing  to  those  around  them. 

S. — Were  they  in  error  on  any  point  of  Christian  doctrine  ? 

F. — They  had  received  erroneous  impressions  respecting  the 
resurrection  and  the  coming  of  Christ.  They  looked  for  his  coming 
as  a  near  event,  and  they  seem  to  have  supposed  that  those  who 
were  alive  on  the  earth  when  Christ  came,  would  have  great 
advantages  over  those  of  their  number  who  had  died  ;  that  the  liv- 
ing would  be  allowed  to  behold  his  glory,  and  participate  in  the 
splendors  of  his  personal  reign,  while  those  who  were  in  their  graves 
would  slumber  through  these  magnificent  scenes.  To  correct 
these  views  seems  to  have  been  one  design  of  the  Epistle  before 
us.  The  Apostle  assures  the  Thessalonian  converts  that,  at  the 
coming  of  Christ,  all  the  redeemed,  whether  living  or  dead,  would 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  539 

participate  alike  in  liis  glory.  They  who  were  alive  would  not 
anticipate  those  who  were  in  their  graves.  So  far  from  this,  those 
who  were  dead  would  rise  first,  i.  e.  before  the  change  would  take 
place  in  the  living,  which  was  to  fit  them  to  dwell  forever  with  the 
Lord  (1  Thess.  iv.  15-18). 

S. — Were  there  any  disorders  prevailing  in  this  infant  church? 

F. — There  were  probably  some  who  had  not  a  due  respect  for 
their  religious  teachers ;  and  tliis  ma}'  have  led  the  Apostle  to 
say  to  them,  "  We  beseech  you,  brethren,  to  know  them  which 
labor  among  you,  and  are  over  you  in  the  Lord,  and  admonish 
you ;  and  to  esteem  them  very  highl}^  in  love  for  their  works  sake  " 
(Chap.  V.  12). 

In  short,  these  new  converts  from  Judaism  and  heathenism 
needed  instruction  in  regard  to  the  Christian  temper  and  walk  in 
general ;  and  more  appropriate  instruction  than  that  contained  in 
the  closing  verses  of  this  Epistle,  cannot  be  conceived  of :  "  Warn 
them  that  are  unruly,  comfort  the  feeble-minded,  support  the  weak, 
be  patient  unto  all  men.  See  that  none  render  evil  for  evil  unto 
any  man ;  but  ever  follow  that  which  is  good,  both  among  your- 
selves, and  to  all  men.  Rejoice  evermore ;  pray  without  ceasing ; 
in  everything  give  thanks;  for  this  is  the  will  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus  concerning  you.  Quench  not  the  sj^irit ;  despise  not  proj^he- 
syings ;  prove  all  things ;  hold  fast  that  which  is  good.  Abstain 
from  all  appearance  of  evil ;  and  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify 
you  wholly  ;  and  I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body 
be  preserved  blameless  unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

II.     SECOND   EPISTLE   TO   THE   THESSALONIANS. 

>S'. — When  and  where  was  this  Epistle  written  ? 

F. — It  seems  to  have  been  written  soon  after  the  first,  and  from 
the  same  place — Corinth,  about  the  3-ear  53  or  54.  There  is 
indeed,  no  positive  proof  of  this,  but  the  internal  evidence  all 
favors  the  supposition,  and  such  has  been  the  opinion  of  the  most 
judicious  commentators. 


540  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


S. — Why  slioukl  the  Ai^ostle  so  soon  address  a  second  Epistle 
to  the  same  church? 

F. — Chiefly,  I  think,  to  correct  an  erroneous  impression  which  the 
Thessalonians  had  received  from  the  first.  They  had  gathered  from 
what  Paul  had  written,  that  the  Son  of  God  was  about  to  appear, 
and  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  near  at  hand.  And  this  im- 
pression was  producing  the  same  results  at  Thessalonica  that  it 
has  done  in  all  periods  since.  Some  were  alarmed,  and  were 
suffering  under  serious  apprehensions;  while  others  concluded 
that  labor  was  of  no  value,  that  worldly  property  was  useless,  and 
had  given  up  all  attention  to  their  secular  concerns.  It  was  of 
the  utmost  importance,  therefore,  that  the  error  should  be  cor- 
rected, and  corrected  speedily.  Accordingly,  the  watchful  Apostle 
wrote  to  them :  "  We  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  our  gathering  together  unto  him,  that 
ye  be  not  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be  troubled,  neither  by  spirit, 
nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter  as  from  us,  as  that  the  da}^  of  Christ  is 
at  hand.  Let  no  man  deceive  you  by  any  means ;  for  that  day 
shall  not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first,  and  that 
man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition,  who  opposeth  and 
exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God,  or  that  is  worshiped ; 
so  that  he,  as  God,  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  showing  himself 
that  he  is  God.  Remember  ye  not  that  while  I  was  yet  with  you, 
I  told  you  these  things"  (2  Thess.  ii.  1-5). 

,S'. — Certainly  this  declaration  was  of  great  importance  at  the 
time  when  it  was  written :  Is  it  not  of  equal  importance  now  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly  it  is.  There  have  been  crazy  adventists  all 
along,  from  the  age  of  the  Apostles  until  now.  There  are  such  still. 
And  not  only  so,  it  has  been  the  perpetual  cry  of  infidelity  :  "  The 
Apostles  believed  in  the  speedy  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment,  and 
were  mistaken.  Their  inspiration  failed  them  in  this  instance; 
why  not  in  others  ?  And  Avho  can  trust  to  their  writings  as  the 
standard  of  truth  ?  "  Now  the  declaration  of  Paul  above  quoted,  is 
a  sufficient  reply  to  all  such  objections.     No  stronger  expressions 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  541 

can  be  cited  from  any  writing  of  the  Apostles,  to  prove  the 
speedy  coming  of  Christ,  than  can  be  found  in  Paul's  first  Epistle 
to  the  Thessalonians.  They  were  so  strong  that  the  Thessalonians 
themselves,  or  at  least  some  of  them,  were  deceived  by  them. 
And  yet  the  Apostle  writes  forthwith  to  assure  them  that  the}'  had 
misinterpreted  him.  He  had  intended  to  convey  no  such  impres- 
sion, lie  refers  to  many  things  which  he  had  said  while  yet  with 
them,  that  were  inconsistent  with  such  a  doctrine.  And  may  not 
Paul  be  safely  left  to  explain  his  own  words  ?  And  who  will  dare 
insist,  in  these  days,  in  opposition  to  his  own  declarations,  that  he 
did  teach  the  speed}^  coming  of  Christ,  and  was  mistaken  ? 

S. — In  the  views  you  have  given,  this  second  Epistle  to  the 
Thessalonians  is  one  of  great  importance  to  the  church,  not  only 
in  the  age  of  the  Apostles,  but  at  all  subsequent  periods. 

F. — It  is  an  important  Scripture  in  another  respect.  It  is  a 
standing  rebuke  of  all  those  interpretations  which  attempt  to  fix 
the  time  when  our  Lord  will  come,  and  to  make  it  appear  that  the 
end  is  near  at  hand.  Oar  Savior  told  his  disciples  after  his  resur- 
rection, that  the  time  of  his  coming  was  not  known  to  mortals, 
and  never  would  be  particularly  disclosed  to  them.  "It  is  not 
for  you  to  know  the  times  and  the  seasons  which  the  Father  hath 
put  in  his  own  power"  (Acts.  i.  7).  Hence  all  attempts  to  fix 
the  precise  time  of  his  coming  are  to  be  regarded  as  profane — 
as  an  unwarrantable  prying  into  those  secret  things  which  belong 
only  to  God. 

III.   EPISTLE   TO   THE   GALATIANS. 

S. — What  was  Galatia,  and  where  M\as  it  ? 

F. — Galatia  was  not  a  city,  but  a  province  of  Asia  ]\Iinor,  having 
Pontus  on  the  East,  and  Cappadocia  and  Phrj^gia  on  the  South  and 
West.  It  was,  probably,  about  two  hundred  miles  long  from  East 
to  West,  and  from  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  in  width. 

S. — From  what  did  this  province  derive  its  name  ? 

F. — From  the  Gauls,  by  whom  it  had  been  conquered  and  settled, 
about   two    hundred   and    fifty   j^ears  before   the  birth  of  Christ. 


542  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

These  Gauls  were  celebrated  warriors,  who  were  frequently 
emploj^ed  by  the  surrounding  chiefs  to  assist  them  in  their  warlike 
encounters.  Galatia  became  a  Roman  province  in  the  time  of 
Augustus  Csesar,  and  was  subject  to  a  governor  sent  from  Rome. 

S. — Of  what  religion  were  the  Galatians  originally  ? 

F. — They  were  heathen  idolaters,  interspersed  with  companies 
of  wandering  Jews.  There  were  no  large  cities  in  Galatia ;  the 
people  resided  in  villages  and  towns.  And  this  accounts  for  it, 
that  our  Epistle  is  directed,  not  to  the  church  of  Galatia,  but  to 
the  churches. 

S. — By  whom  was  the  gospel  first  preached  in  this  province  ? 

F. — Undoubtedly  by  Paul.  He  probably  visited  it  during  his 
first  mission  from  Antioch.  This,  indeed,  is  not  expressly  men- 
tioned ;  but  it  is  said  that  he  visited  Lycaonia,  and  the  region 
round  about  (Acts  xiv.  6),  which  would  include  portions  of 
Galatia.  We  know  that  he  visited  Galatia  when  on  his  second 
mission  (Acts  xvi.  6). 

S. — When  was  the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  written  ? 

F. — On  this  question,  interpreters  have  decided  variously.  My 
own  opinion  is,  that  it  was  written  at  Corinth,  shortly  after  the 
Epistles  to  the  Thessalonians.  The  main  subject  of  the  Epistle — 
the  question  of  circumcising  the  Gentile  converts — shows  that  it 
was  written  during  the  controversy  on  that  exciting  topic.  At  a 
later  period  in  Paul's  ministry,  this  question  had  in  great  measure 
subsided.  Then  we  have  an  expression  near  the  beginning  of  the 
Epistle,  which  implies  that  it  was  written  shortly  after  Paul's  last 
visit  to  the  Galatians  :  "  I  marvel  that  ye  are  so  soon  removed  from 
him  that  called  you  into  the  grace  of  Christ,  unto  another  gospel " 
(i.  6).  My  own  impression  is  that  this  Epistle  was  written  about 
the  year  52  or  53,  while  Paul  was  fulfilling  his  long  mission  at 
Corinth.  It  was  written,  not  like  Paul's  other  Epistles,  by  an 
amanuensis,  but  with  his  own  hand  (vi.  11). 

S. — What  was  the  occasion  of  Paul's  addressing  the  Galatians  at 
this  time  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  643 

F. — This  is  very  obvious  from  tlie  Epistle  itself.  While  Paul 
was  at  Corinth,  he  received  intelligence  from  Galatia  that  liis  old 
enemies,  the  Judaizing  teachers,  had  been  there,  subverting  the 
faith  of  his  sj)iritual  children,  and  turning  them  aside  to  another 
gospel.  These  teachers  insisted  that  Paul  was  an  Apostle  only  at 
second  hand  ;  that  he  was  inferior,  in  point  of  authority,  to  the 
Apostles  at  Jerusalem ;  that  circumcision  and  the  Jewish  law 
were  still  binding,  and  were  essential  to  salvation  ;  and  by  these, 
and  other  like  persuasions,  they  had  induced  many  of  the  Gala- 
tians  to  be  circumcised,  to  attend  the  Jewish  festivals,  and  to 
commence  the  observance  of  the  law.  The  Apostle  saw  at  once 
that  something  must  be  done  ;  and  as  he  could  not  visit  his  Gala- 
tian  brethren  at  this  time,  he  must  write  them  a  letter.  He  com- 
mences by  vindicating  his  own  Apostleship.  He  assures  the 
Galatians  that  he  had  received  his  commission  and  his  doctrine, 
not  from  man,  but  from  God  ;  that  what  he  had  taught  them  was 
of  Divine  authority,  and  that  they  were  bound  to  believe  him. 
He  instructs  them  as  to  the  nature  of  spiritual  justification,  and 
the  impossibility  of  securing  it  by  works  of  the  law.  It  must  be  by 
the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  shows  them  that  even  Abraham  was 
justified  by  faith,  and  not  by  works  ;  and  that  all  his  spiritual 
children  must  be  saved  in  the  same  way.  The  design  of  the  whole 
Epistle  is  to  state  and  defend  the  true  doctrine  of  justification, 
and  it  closes  with  an  earnest  exhortation  to  his  Galatian  brethren 
to  avoid  the  evils  which  had  been  engendered  by  their  disputes, 
and  to  "  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith  Christ  had  made 
them  free."  "  In  Christ  Jesus,  neither  circumcision  availeth  any- 
thing, nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  new  creature." 

The  ground  which  Paul  took  in  this,  and  in  his  other  Epistles, 
against  the  imposition  of  circumcision  and  the  law  upon  the  Gen- 
tile converts,  was  one  of  vast  importance.  It  saved  Christianity,  at 
least  for  a  time,  from  becoming  a  religion  of  rites  and  forms ;  and, 
as  I  have  remarked  on  a  former  occasion,  we  can  never  sufficiently 
admire  the  providence  and  grace  of  God,  in  making  a  thorough- 


544  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

bred  and  bigoted  Jew  the  principal  means  of  deliverance  from 
Jewish  rites,  and  in  making  the  earliest  and  most  violent  persecu- 
tor of  Christianity  such  an  eminent  instrument  in  spreading  Chris- 
tianity throughout  the  earth. 


CONVERSATION  XII. 

FIRST  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CORINTHIANS.— Beauty  of  Corhitli.- Great  commer- 
cial importauce. — Distinguished  for  wealtii,  luxury  aud  dissipation. — Circumstances 
connected  with  Paul's  first  visit  to  Corinth. — Becomes  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles. — 
Brought  before  Gallio. — Reproofs  and  instructions. — Falsity  of  the  concluding  inscrip- 
tions of  this  aud  otiier  Epistles. — P^irst  and  second  Epistles  to  Timothy. 

IV.    FIRST   EPISTLE   TO   THE   COKINTHIANS. 

Son. — Where  was  Corintli  situated  ? 

Father. — It  was  situated  on  an  isthmus,  about  six  miles  across, 
which  separated  the  ancient  Peloponnesus  from  the  rest  of  Greece. 
This  was  the  natural  portage  or  carrying  place  from  the  Ionian  sea 
on  the  west,  to  tlie  ^Egean  on  the  east.  The  situation  of  Corinth 
gave  it  great  commercial  advantages.  It  became  the  mart  of  Asia 
and  Europe,  covered  the  sea  with  its  ships,  and  had  a  navy  of  its 
own  to  protect  its  commerce.  Its  population  increased  rapidly  by 
the  influx  of  foreigners,  and  it  was  long  distinguished  for  its 
wealth,  its  luxury,  and  its  dissipation.  The  principal  divinity  wor- 
shiped at  Corinth  was  Venus, — as  Diana  was  at  Ephesus,  and 
Minerva  at  Athens. 

S. — When  was  Corinth  captured  by  the  Romans  ? 

F. — It  was  captured  and  destroyed  by  the  consul  Lucius  Mum- 
mius,  147  years  before  Christ.  The  riches  found  there  were  im- 
mense. A  vast  amount  of  coin  was  melted  down  in  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  city.  The  place,  however,  was  soon  rebuilt.  It  was 
colonized  by  Julius  Ciesar,  and  ere  long  resumed  something  of  its 
former  magnificence. 

*S: — How  was  Greece  divided  by  the  Romans  ? 

F. — Into  the  two  provinces  of  Macedonia  and  Achaia.  Of  the 
latter,  Corinth  was  the  capital.  Such  was  its  situation,  when  first 
visited  by  Paul. 

S. — At  what  time,  and  under  what  circumstances,  did  Paul  make 
his  first  visit  to  Corinth  ? 

F. — He  came  here  about  the  year  52.     He  had  spent  some  time 


546  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

at  Athens,  where  he  had  preached  without  much  success.  From 
Athens  he  came  alone  to  Corinth ;  but  he  found  there  Aquila  and 
Priscilla,  hitely  come  from  Rome,  with  whom  he  lodged  and  labored 
at  his  trade  of  tent-making.  He  may  have  been  the  means  of  the 
conversion  of  these  excellent  friends. 

"When  Silas  and  Timotheus  had  come  to  him  from  Berea,  he  com- 
menced preaching  the  gospel  in  this  great  and  wicked  city.  He 
began,  as  usual,  with  the  Jews ;  but  when  they  rejected  him,  he 
shook  his  raiment  and  said,  "  Your  blood  be  upon  your  own  heads ; 
I  am  clean  ;  from  henceforth  I  will  go  to  the  Gentiles."  He  began 
his  labors,  as  he  tells  us,  "  in  weakness,  and  fear,  and  in  much  trem- 
bling ; "  but  his  Divine  Master  encouraged  him  in  a  vision,  saying, 
"  Be  not  afraid,  but  speak,  and  hold  not  thy  peace ;  for  I  am  with 
thee,  and  no  man  shall  set  on  thee  to  hurt  thee ;  for  I  have  much 
people  in  this  city."  And  he  continued  preaching  the  gospel  there 
a  year  and  six  months.  It  was  during  this  period,  as  we  have  seen, 
that  he  wrote  his  Epistles  to  the  Thessalonians  and  to  the  Galatians. 

S. — In  what  manner  was  Paul's  successful  labors  at  Corinth  in- 
terrupted ? 

F. — The  unbelieving  Jews,  enraged  at  his  success,  caught  him 
and  brought  him  before  Gallic,  the  governor  of  Achaia ;  but  Gallic 
refused  to  listen  to  them  and  Paul  was  dismissed.  After  this  it  is 
said  that  "he  tarried  there  a  good  while,"  "and  sailed  thence  into 
Syria,  taking  Priscilla  and  Aquila  with  him."  He  came  first  to 
Ephesus  and  left  his  friends  there,  promising  to  return  to  them 
after  a  short  visit  to  Jerusalem.  This  promise  he  fulfilled ;  and 
now  commenced  his  three  and  a  half  years'  mission  at  Ephesus — 
the  longest  that  he  had  at  any  place,  after  entering  upon  his  public 
labors. 

S. — Had  he  no  intercourse,  during  all  this  time,  with  any  of  his 
former  fields  of  labor  ? 

F. — He  had  undoubtedly.  He  kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  all  the 
churches,  more  especially  those  which  he  had  planted,  and  lost  no 
opportunity  to  do  them  good.     This  was  particularly  the  case  with 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  647 

regard  to  the  church  which  he  had  left  at  Corinth.  The  intercourse 
by  sea  between  Ephesus  and  Corinth  was  direct  and  frequent.  He 
heard  often  from  his  Corinthian  brethren,  and  seems  to  have  sent  a 
letter  to  them  which  is  lost.  For  he  says  in  the  Epistle  before  us — 
called  the  first :  "  I  wrote  unto  you  in  an  Epistle  not  to  keep  com- 
pany with  fornicators,"  etc.  (Chap.  v.  9).  Hearing  of  their  disor- 
ders, and  their  lack  of  discipline,  he  seems  also  to  have  made  a  short 
visit  to  them,  of  which  no  mention  is  made  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  At  the  time  of  writing  his  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians, 
Paul  had  made  but  one  visit  to  them  of  which  we  have  any  knowl- 
edge. Yet  he  says  repeatedly  in  his  second  Epistle,  "  This  is  the 
third  time  I  am  coming  to  you."  Of  course,  there  must  have  been 
a  second  visit  between  the  first  and  the  third ;  and  this  must  have 
been  made  during  his  long  residence  at  Ephesus.  Nor  is  it  to  be 
wondered  at,  that  in  his  anxiety  for  the  Corinthians,  he  should  sail 
over  the  ^gean  in  some  one  of  the  hundred  ships  that  were  con- 
tinually crossing,  and  make  them  a  passing  visit. 

S. — When  and  where  was  the  Epistle  before  us  written  ? 

F. — As  the  Apostle  continued  to  hear  unfavorable  reports  from 
the  Corinthians,  and  had  received  a  letter  and  a  deputation  from 
them  (see  Chap.  xvi.  19),  he  determined  to  write  them  a  long 
Epistle — that  which  is  now  before  us.  It  was  undoubtedly  written 
from  Ephesus,  and  near  the  close  of  his  long  residence  there.  "  I 
will  tarry  at  Ephesus,"  he  says,  "  until  Pentecost ;  for  a  great  door 
and  effectual  is  opened  unto  me  "  (Chap.  xvi.  8).  The  place  and 
the  date  of  the  writing  are  here  fixed.  It  must  have  been  written 
at  Ephesus  in  the  year  56  or  57. 

The  Apostle,  however,  did  not  remain  at  Ephesus  so  long  as  he 
intended.  The  uproar  raised  against  him  by  the  silver-smiths 
hastened  his  departure.  He  had  previously  sent  into  Macedonia 
Timothy  and  Erastus,  and  when  the  uproar  had  ceased,  he  fol- 
lowed them  (Chap.  xx.  1).  The  Epistle  was  written,  it  has  been 
thought,  between  the  sending  away  of  Timothy  and  Erastus,  and 
the  tumult  by  the  silver-smiths. 


648  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

S. — You  have  not  yet  informed  us  of  the  particular  occasion  of 
writing  this  Epistle. 

F. — This  is  sufficient!}^  obvious  from  the  Epistle  itself.  The 
Apostle  had  received  a  letter  from  the  Corinthian  church,  and  he 
must  answer  it.  He  had  also  heard  various  reports  of  disorders 
there,  wliich  required  correction.  "It  hath  been  declared  unto 
me  by  them  which  are  of  the  house  of  Chloe,  that  there  are  conten- 
tions among  you,"  some  claiming  to  be  of  Paul,  and  others  of 
ApoUos,  and  others  of  Cephas,  and  others  of  Christ.  This  matter 
is  reproved,  rebuked,  and  variously  discussed,  from  the  eleventh 
verse  of  the  first  chapter  to  the  end  of  the  fourth. 

Another  report  which  had  reached  the  Apostle  had  respect  to  a 
case  of  incest  which  had  occurred,  which  he  severely  rebukes,  and 
directs  that  the  offender,  and  all  like  offenders,  should  be  excluded 
from  the  church. 

Another  report,  unfavorable  to  the  Corinthians  was,  that  instead 
of  settling  their  mutual  differences  among  themselves,  they  had  been 
carrying  them  into  the  heathen  courts.  "  Ye  go  to  law  before  the 
unjust,  and  not  before  the  saints."  The  Apostle  closes  his  rebukes 
on  this  subject  with  a  stern  reproof  of  the  sin  of  unchastity,  to 
which  the  Corinthians  were  much  addicted. 

Having  considered  those  things,  of  which  -he  had  been  incident- 
ally informed,  Paul  proceeds  to  notice  others,  about  which  they 
had  consulted  him  by  letter.  And  first  he  gives  his  advice  con- 
cerning marriage  and  divorce  (Chap.  vii).  Next,  he  counsels  his 
brethren  about  going  to  heathen  festivals,  and  eating  meat  which 
had  been  offered  to  idols.  The  discussion  of  this  and  some  kindred 
topics,  occupies  the  next  three  chapters.  In  the  eleventh  chapter, 
Paul  speaks  of  the  relation  of  the  sexes  one  to  the  other,  of  the 
orderly  conducting  of  public  worship,  and  especially  of  the  Lord's 
supper.  It  seems  that  great  disorders  had  crept  into  the  church  in 
regard  to  this  matter,  which  he  rebukes  and  corrects. 

Another  subject  which  had  probably  been  submitted  to  him  in 
the  letter,  was  that  of  spiritual  gifts,  more  especially  the  gift    of 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  649 

tongues.  This  had  been  imparted  to  many  of  the  Corinthians,  and 
they  had  misused  it,  making  their  meetings  disorderly  and  unprof- 
itable. This  whole  subject  the  Apostle  discusses  in  chapters 
twelve  and  thirteen, — enlarging  on  the  grace  of  charity,  or  holy 
love,  as  being  vastly  superior  to  supernatural  utterances. 

S. — Do  we  find  any  errors  in  doctrine  reproved  in  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — The  Gnostic  errors  had  infected  some  of  the  Corinthians, 
and  they  were  led  to  deny  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  "  There 
is  none  but  a  spiritual  resurrection,  and  that,  in  respect  to  be- 
lievers, is  past  already.  A  resurrection  of  the  vile,  corrupting 
body  is  not  to  be  expected,  or  desired."  A  knowledge  of  this 
error,  as  prevailing  at  Corinth,  led  the  Apostle  into  that  noble  and 
eloquent  vindication  of  the  resurrection,  which  we  have  in  the 
fifteenth  chapter — a  chapter  not  exceeded  in  point  of  interest  by 
any  in  the  Bible. 

S. — In  what  spirit  is  this  searching,  humbling  Epistle  written  ? 

F. — It  is,  indeed,  in  most  parts  of  it,  a  message  of  unsparing 
reproof.  It  could  not  be  otherwise.  And  yet  it  is  delivered, 
throughout,  in  the  kindest  spirit,  in  the  most  tender  and  touching 
manner,  in  a  way  to  give  the  least  possible  offense.  Witness  the 
Apostle's  introduction :  He  begins  by  praising  the  Corinthians — 
by  saying  everything  in  their  favor  which  could  be  said  with 
truth.  "  I  thank  ni}-  God  always  on  your  behalf,  for  the  grace  of 
God,  which  is  given  unto  you  by  Jesus  Christ.  That  in  every 
thing  ye  are  enriched  by  him,  in  all  utterance,  and  in  all  knowl- 
edge, so  that  ye  come  behind  in  no  gift,  waiting  for  the  coming  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  This  is  like  our  Savior's  introductions  to 
his  messages  of  reproof  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia.  After  such 
an  introduction,  and  in  such  a  spirit,  the  Apostle  could  say  any- 
thing which  the  occasion  required. 

»S^. — By  whom  was  this  Epistle  sent  to  the  Corinthians  ? 

F. — The  Apostle  had  already  sent  Timothy  into  Macedonia, 
with  instructions  to  proceed  as  far  as  Corinth,  (Chap.  xvi.  10). 
And  now  he  sends  Titus  with  the  Epistle,  accompanied,  probably, 

3i 


550  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

by  the  messengers  who  had  come  from  Corinth  to  Paul  with  the 
letter  of  inquiry.  He  very  soon  follows  them  into  Macedonia,  and 
anxiously  waits  the  result  of  his  Epistle. 

S. — And  what  was  the  result  ? 

jT. — Every  thing  that  Paul  could  desire.  The  divisions  and 
strifes  among  the  Corinthians  were  healed,  their  disorders  were  cor- 
rected, the  incestuous  person  was  ejected  from  the  church,  and 
deep  repentance  and  a  disposition  to  reform  were  every  where 
manifested.  And  not  only  so,  the  collection  for  the  poor  saints  at 
Jerusalem,  which  Paul  had  projected  and  was  urging  forward,  was 
taken  up  with  exemplary  liberality.  Of  all  this,  Paul  was  speedily 
informed  by  Titus,  much  to  his  satisfaction  and  joy. 

S. — What  is  to  be  said  of  the  concluding  inscription  to  this 
Epistle  ? 

F. — It  is  of  no  authoritj^,  and  is  false  in  several  particulars,  and 

the  same  may  be  said  of  the  concluding  inscriptions  to  the  Epistles 

generally.     It  is  to  be  regretted  that  they  are  published   in  our 

Bibles. 

V.  Paul's  first  epistle  to  timothy. 

F. — The  next  of  Paul's  Epistles,  in  point  of  time,  was  the  first 
Epistle  to  Timothy.  We  have  heard  much  of  Timothy  in  our  pre- 
vious discussions.  He  was  found  at  Lystra;  by  Paul,  during  his 
second  mission  from  Antioch ;  and,  being  a  pious,  promising  youth, 
he  Avas  selected  by  the  Apostle  to  travel  with  him  as  his  companion 
and  assistant  evangelist.  And  from  this  period,  he  seems  to  have 
followed  Paul,  or  to  have  labored  under  his  direction  to  the  end  of 
the  Apostle's  life.  He  was  with  him  during  his  long  mission  at 
Ephesus ;  but  near  the  close  of  it,  he  was  sent  away. 

*S'. — Where  was  he  sent? 

F. — Hearing  of  some  disorders  among  the  Corinthians,  Paul 
directed  Timothy  and  Erastus  to  make  them  a  visit.  This  involved 
a  voyage  across  the  ^gean,  which  they  could  make  in  a  few  days. 
After  their  departure  Paul  writes  his  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians, 
in  which  he  speaks  of  himself  as  still  at  Ephesus,  and  of  Timothy 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  551 


as  in  Greece  (1  Cor.  xvi.  8,  iv.  17).  After  a  time,  Timothy  returns 
to  Ephesiis,  and  is  there  at  the  time  of  the  disturbance  with  the 
silver-smiths.  I'aiil  now  leaves  suddenly  for  Macedonia ;  Inil  en- 
treats Timothy  to  remain  at  Ephesus  for  a  time,  "  that  he  mio-ht 
charge  some  that  they  teach  no  other  doctrine  "  (1  Tim.  i.  3). 
And  here  we  have  the  date  of  Paul's  first  Epistle  to  Timothy.  It 
was  written  from  Macedonia,  probably  from  Philippi,  about  the 
year  58. 

*S'. — But  are  there  not  serious  objections  to  this  date  of  the 
Epistle  ?  Are  we  sure  that  Timothy  returned  from  Greece  to 
Ephesus,  previous  to  Paul's  sudden  departure  ? 

F. — We  have  no  positive  proof  of  this ;  but  Ave  know  that  he 
might  easily  have  done  so,  and  that  Paul  expected  him  to  return. 
"  I  look  for  him  with  the  brethren  "  (1  Cor.  xvi.  11). 

♦S'. — It  is  further  objected  to  your  date  of  the  Epistle,  that  Timo- 
thy, instead  of  being  left  at  Ephesus,  was  with  Paul  in  Macedonia, 
when  he  wrote  his  second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  and  his  name 
is  joined  with  that  of  Paul  in  the  introduction. 

F. — All  this  is  true  ;  but  before  Paul  was  prepared  to  write  his 
second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  Timothy  might  have  finished  his 
work  at  Ephesus,  and  followed  Paul  to  Macedonia.  He  had  time 
enough  to  do  all  this,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  he  did  it.  And  if 
he  actually  ivas  in  Macedonia  when  Paul  commenced  writing  his 
second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  it  was  the  most  natural  thing  in 
the  world, — since  Timothy  had  so  lately  been  at  Corinth, — that 
Paul  should  join  his  name  with  his  own  in  the  introduction. 

yS. — It  is  still  further  objected  to  the  commonly  received  date 
of  this  Epistle,  that,  instead  of  expecting  Timotln-  in  ^Macedonia, 
Paul  was  expecting  soon  to  return  to  Ephesus.  "  These  things 
I  write  unto  thee,  hoping  to  return  unto  thee  shortly  "  (1  Tim. 
iii.  14). 

F. — Paul  did  entertain  this  hope  on  his  first  arrival  in  ^Nlace- 
donia ;  but  being  occupied  there  much  longer  than  he  expected,  it 
seems  that  Timoth}'  came  to  him.     Vessels  were  continually  passing 


652  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

one  way  and  the  other,  and  the  voyage,  as  I  have  before  said,  could 
be  accomplished  in  a  few  days. 

aS'. — As  the  true  date  of  this  Epistle  has  long-  been,  and  still,  is  a 
matter  in  dispute,  will  you  sum  up,  briefly,  the  reasons  for  the  date 
which  you  have  given  ? 

F. — My  reasons  are,  that  this  date  agrees,  as  no  other  one  does, 
with  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case.  We  know,  from  the  Epistle 
itself,  that  it  was  written  soon  after  Paul's  sudden  departure  from 
Ephesus,  leaving  Timothy  behind  to  finish  up  certain  things  which 
he  had  left  unaccomplished.  Now  we  have  no  account  in  the 
Bible,  or  anywhere  else,  of  Paul's  leaving  Ephesus  for  Macedonia, 
except  in  the  instance  above  referred  to.  Bishop  Pearson  thinks 
that  this  might  have  been  done  after  Paul's  release  from  his  first 
imprisonment  at  Rome,  and  that  his  first  Epistle  dates  only  a  little 
previous  to  the  second.  But  all  this  is  mere  assumption,  without 
one  particle  of  proof.  Indeed,  collateral  circumstances  are  against 
it.  For  example,  when  Paul  wrote  this  Epistle,  Timothy  was  a 
young  man.  "Let  no  man  despise  thy  youth"  (1  Tim.  iv.  12).  If 
the  Epistle  was  written  at  the  time  we  suppose,  Timothy  ivas  a 
young  man  ;  but  seven  or  eight  years  later,  this  could  hardly  be 
said  of  him.  Then,  after  leaving  Ephesus  at  the  time  we  suppose, 
there  is  no  reason  to  think  that  Paul  ever  was  there  again.  When 
he  returned  from  Greece  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem,  he  sent  for  the 
elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus  to  meet  him  at  Miletus,  and  there 
he  took  his  final  leave  of  them.  He  told  them,  and  for  aught  I 
see  prophetically,  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more  (Acts  xx. 
25).  And  yet,  according  to  Bishop  Pearson's  theory,  he  was  there 
again,  and  left  Timothy  behind  him  at  his  departure.  On  the 
whole,  I  feel  satisfied  with  the  date  of  the  Epistle  which  has  been 
given  about  the  year  58. 

S. — Will  you  now  state  the  occasion  and  design  of  the  Epistle  ? 

F. — These  may  be  learned  from  the  circumstances  already  men- 
tioned, and  from  the  Epistle  itself.  Driven  away  from  Ephesus  by 
the  violence  of  the  silver-smiths  before  his  work  was  done,  Paul  left 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  553 

Timothy  behind  to  complete  it ;  and  particnhirly  that  he  might 
"  charge  some  that  they  teach  no  other  doctrine."  The  errors  to 
which  the  Apostle  here  refers,  I  think,  were  of  two  kinds.  1. 
There  were  the  Judaizers,  who  "  desired  to  be  teachers  of  the  law." 
2.  There  were  the  advocates  of  a  "  science  falsely  so  called,  which, 
some  professing,  have  erred  from  the  faith  "  (vi.  20,21).  This 
Tyaaig  "  science  falsely  so  called,"  was  undoubtedly  gnosticism., 
which  was  becoming  popular,  and  had  begun  to  corrupt  the 
churches  before  the  death  of  the  Apostles.  It  had  already  made  its 
appearance  at  Ephesus ;  and  was  more  prominently  there  near  the 
close  of  the  first  century,  during  the  ministr}'  of  the  Apostle  John. 

The  church  also  needed  instruction  in  regard  to  the  right  of  the 
female  members,  and  the  place  which  they  ought  to  occupy  ;  also 
in  regard  to  the  proper  treatment  of  widows.  It  is  probable,  also, 
that  at  the  time  when  Paul  was  driven  away  from  Ephesus,  he  had 
not  completed  the  organization  of  church  officers,  or  defined  their 
duties  so  fully  as  he  desired  ;  and  this  led  him  to  charge  Timoth}^ 
as  he  does  in  chapter  third.  In  short,  many  things  required  to  be 
done,  which  Paul  left  Timothy  behind  to  do,  and  his  instructions 
in  regard  to  these  make  up  the  body  of  the  Epistle. 

S. — Are  not  the  pastoral  Epistles,  as  they  are  called — the  Epistles 
to  Timothy  and  Titus,  to  be  regarded  as  highly  important  parts  of 
the  inspired  volume  ? 

F. — They  are  undoubtedly  ;  and  specially  so  as  they  bear  on  the 
character  and  work  of  the  ministry.  "  The  office  of  the  ministry  is 
God's  great  appointment  for  the  propagation  of  true  religion,  and  for 
spreading  it  through  the  world.  The  church  adheres  to  the  truth, 
is  built  up  in  faith,  and  is  distinguished  for  love,  purity  and  zeal,  in 
proportion  as  the  ministry  is  honored,  and  shows  itself  qualified  for 
its  work.  So  important  is  this  office  to  the  welfare  of  the  church 
and  the  world,  that  it  was  desirable  that  full  instruction  sliould  be 
furnished  in  the  volume  of  revelation,  in  regard  to  its  nature  and 
design.  Such  instruction  we  have  in  these  pastoral  Epistles ;  and 
there   is    scarcely  any    portion  of  the  New  Testament  which  the 


554  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


church  coiikl  not  better  afford  to  i)art  witli,  than  these  Epistles. 
Had  the  ministry  always  been  such  as  these  Epistles  contemplate, 
had  they  who  have  filled  the  sacred  office  always  possessed  the 
character  and  qualifications  here  described,  the  church  would  have 
been  saved  from  the  strifes  that  have  so  often  rent  it,  and  the  pure 
gospel,  long  ere  this,  would  have  been  spread  through  the  world." 

YI.      SECOND   EPISTLE   TO   THE   CORINTHIANS. 

F. — We  have  already  given  an  account  of  the  location,  character 
and  history  of  ancient  Corinth ;  of  Paul's  first  visit  and  long  resi- 
dence there ;  of  the  establishment  of  a  flourishing  Christian  church; 
of  the  disorders  into  which  it  fell  after  he  left  it ;  of  his  efforts  to 
correct  these  disorders  ;  and  particularly  of  his  long  Epistle  to 
them.  This  was  preceded  by  a  visit  of  Timothy,  and  the  Epistle 
was  sent  by  the  hand  of  Titus.  Soon  after  this,  Paul  left  Ephesus 
to  go  into  Macedonia,  but  stopped  at  Troas,  expecting  there  to 
meet  Titus,  and  learn  from  him  the  reception  of  the  Epistle. 

S. — Had  Paul  some  anxiety  in  regard  to  this  matter  ? 

F. — He  was  exceedingly  anxious,  as  he  well  might  be ;  and  he 
tells  us  of  his  disappointment  in  not  meeting  Titus  at  Troas. 
"■  When  I  came  to  Troas,  I  had  no  rest  in  my  spirit,  because  I 
found  not  Titus,  my  brother."  Paul  immediately  left  Troas,  and 
sailed  over  into  Macedonia,  where  he  did  meet  Titus,  and  learned 
from  him,  with  inexpressible  satisfaction,  that  his  Epistle  had 
accomplished  all  that  he  could  desire.  The  act  of  discipline 
which  he  had  directed,  had  been  performed,  the  abuses  had  been 
in  great  measure  corrected,  the  Corinthians  had  been  brought  to  a 
deep  repentance,  and  were  earnestly  endeavoring  to  effect  a  refor- 
mation. Of  the  feelings  of  Paul  on  this  occasion,  he  has  fully 
informed  us.  "  When  we  were  come  into  Macedonia,  our  flesh  had 
no  rest,  but  we  were  troubled  on  every  side.  Without  were  fight- 
ings, and  within  were  fears.  Nevertheless,  God,  that  comforteth 
those  who  are  cast  down,  comforted  us  by  the  coming  of  Titus ; 
and  not  by  his  coming  only,  but  by  the  consolation  wherewith  he 


COXVFRSA  TTOXS  OX  THE  BIBLE.  655 

was  comforted  in  you,  when  he  told  us  of  3'our  earnest  desire, 
your  mourning,  3'our  fervent  mind  toward  me ;  so  that  I  rejoiced 
the  more  "  (Chap.  vii.  5-7). 

S. — In  these  circumstances,  what  did  Paul  do  ? 

F. — In  the  fullness  of  his  heart,  he  sat  down,  and  wrote  this 
second  Epistle.  Such  was  the  occasion  of  it,  and  it  followed  his 
first  Epistle  in  less  than  a  year. 

>S'. — Where  was  he  when  he  wrote  it  ? 

F. — In  ^Macedonia — probably  at  Pliilippi. 

S. — What  is  the  character  of  this  Epistle,  and  how  does  it  com- 
pare with  the  first. 

F. — Timothy  and  Titus  had  spent  some  time  in  Corinth,  and  had 
fully  informed  themselves  as  to  the  state  of  things,  both  before  and 
after  the  reception  of  Paul's  Epistle.  Of  course,  they  told  every- 
thing to  the  Apostle ;  and  he  adapts  his  second  Epistle  to  existing 
circumstances.  The  consequence  is,  that  this  Epistle  is  more  vari- 
ous, and  has  less  of  plan  and  method  than  perhaps  any  of  his 
writings. 

S. — What  are  some  of  the  principal  topics  on  which  the  writer 
touches  ? 

F. — He  begins  by  referring  to  his  own  sufferings,  and  particu- 
larly to  his  late  trials  at  Ephesus.  He  vindicates  himself  from  a 
charge  which  his  enemies  had  urged  against  him,  viz.^  that  of 
insincerity  and  fickleness — of  saying  "  yea  and  nay,"  to  suit  his 
own  convenience.  He  commiserates  the  case  of  the  sorroAving 
penitent  who  had  been  ejected  from  the  church,  and  directs  that 
he  be  restored  and  comforted.  He  consoles  himself  and  his 
friends,  in  the  midst  of  all  their  trials,  with  the  prospect  of  heav- 
enly glory  and  blessedness  ;  not  only  that  succeeding  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  bod}-,  but  that  occurring  immediatel}'  after  death :  "  We 
knoiv  that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved, 
we  have  a  building  of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands,  eter- 
nal in  the  heavens."  Hence,  "  we  are  confident  and  willing  rather 
to  be  absent  from  the  body,  and  to  be  present  with   the    Lord " 


556  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


(Chap.  V.  1,  8).  Paul  exhorts  the  Corinthians  to  avoid  matrimo- 
nial alliances  which  would  endanger  their  piety,  and  were  incon- 
sistent with  the  gospel :  "  Be  not  unequally  yoked  together  with 
unbelievers  ;  for  what  fellowship  hath  righteousness  with  unright- 
eousness, and  what  communion  hath  light  with  darkness,  and  what 
concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial,  or  what  part  hath  he  that  believ- 
eth  with  an  infidel  ?  "  (Chap.  vi.  14,  15.)  In  chapters  eight  and 
nine,  Paul  introduces  the  subject,  on  which  his  heart  was  so  much 
set — the  collection  for  the  poor  saints  in  Judea,  and  urges  the 
Corinthians  to  liberality  by  the  example  of  their  brethren  in  Mac- 
edonia. 

In  the  remainder  of  the  Epistle,  Paul  vindicates  his  apostolical 
authority  against  the  clamors  of  his  enemies,  interspersing  various 
instructions  and  cautions,  as  these  were  suggested.  He  closes  with 
Christian  greetings  and  salutations,  and  with  Apostolical  benedic- 
tion. 

S. — Who  carried  this  second  Epistle  ? 

F. — Probably  Titus ;  and  Paul  himself  went  to  Corinth  shortly 
after,  and  tarried  there  for  a  season. 

S. — Do  we  hear  aught  from  Corinth  in  the  succeeding  part  of  the 
New  Testament? 

F. — Nothing  ;  the  divisions  there  we  may  hope  were  healed,  and 
the  disorders  corrected,  through  the  efforts  of  the  great  Apostle, 
and  that  henceforward  the  church  was  a  comfort  to  him  and  an 
honor  to  Christ. 


CONVERSATION  XIII. 

PAUL'S  EPISTLE  TO  THE  ROMANS.— When  written.-Pcter  not  the  founder  of  the 
church  at  Rome. — Doctrines  tauf!;ht  l)y  tliis  book. — Di^5cussion.s  aroused  Ijy  tlii.s  Epistle. 
— Its  several  sub-divisious. — Practical  directions  for  Christians. — Beauty  and  value  of 
the  instruction. 

VII.    PAUL'S  EPISTLE  TO  THE   EOIMANS. 

Son. — In  M'liat  language  was  this  Epistle  written  ? 

Father. — In  the  Greek  language  ;  for  though  Paul  was  writing 
to  a  Latin  city,  the  Greek  was  commonly  spoken  there  ;  it  was  the 
language  with  which  the  Apostle  was  most  familiar ;  and  besides, 
this  language  would  adapt  the  Epistle  to  a  more  general  circulation. 

S. — When  and  where  was  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  written? 

F. — It  was  written  during  Paul's  last  visit  to  Corinth,  when 
about  to  leave  there  to  go  to  Jerusalem,  to  carry  up  the  collection 
to  the  saints  (Rom.  xv.  25).  It  must  have  been  written  about  the 
year  57.  That  the  Epistle  was  written  at  Corinth  is  evident  from 
two  considerations ;  1.  It  was  sent  by  Phebe,  a  servant  of  the 
church  at  Cenchrea ;  and  Cenchrea  was  the  port  of  Corinth.  2.  In 
Chap.  xvi.  23,  Gains  is  spoken  of  as  Paul's  host ;  but  Gaius  resided 
at  Corinth,  and  was  baptized  by  Paul  (Chap.  i.  14). 

S. — Had  Paul  ever  been  at  Rome  when  this  Epistle  was  written  ? 

F. — He  had  not,  but  was  intending  to  go  shortly.  He  did  go 
after  a  time, — not  as  he  expected,  but  as  a  prisoner. 

*S'. — At  what  time  was  the  gospel  first  preached  at  Rome  ? 

F. — "We  cannot  tell.  Among  those  who  were  at  Jerusalem  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  were  "  strangers  from  Rome."  If  any  of  these 
were  converted,  they  may  have  carried  the  gospel  home  with  them. 
In  the  continual  flux  of  foreigners  from  all  parts  of  the  empire  into 
Rome,  it  is  likely  that  Christians  reached  there  at  a  very  early 
period.  Of  one  thing  we  may  be  certain,  that  Peter  did  not  plant 
the  church  at  Rome,  as  Romanists  pretend ;  for  he  was  not  there 
for  more  than  thirty  years  after  the  death  of  Christ,  if  he  ever  was. 
And  we  may  be  certain  of  another  thing,  that  there  was  a  large 


558  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

and  flourishing  church  at  Rome,  when  Paul  wrote  this  Epistle — one 
"whose  faith  was  spoken  of  throughout  the  whole  world"  (Chap. 
i.8). 

S. — Of  what  materials  was  the  church  of  Rome  at  this  period  com- 
posed ? 

F. — It  consisted  of  both  Jewish  and  Gentile  believers,  and  dis- 
putes about  circumcision  and  the  Jewish  law  had  already  reached 
the  imperial  city.  Perhaps  Paul's  knowledge  of  this  may  have 
been  one  occasion  of  his  writing.  Jews  were  numerous  at  Rome 
before  the  birth  of  Christ.  Some  of  these  may  have  been  early  con- 
verted ;  or  converted  Jews  may  have  reached  there,  among  the 
immigrants,  who  were  constantly  arriving. 

S. — For  ages,  this  Epistle  has  been  the  great  battle-ground  of  the 
church.  More  controversies  have  been  raised  over  it,  than  over 
any  other  part  of  the  Bible.     Can  you  tell  us  the  reason  of  this? 

F. — One  reason  doubtless  is,  the  nature  of  the  doctrines  here  in- 
culcated. They  are  high  and  mysterious.  They  relate  to  subjects 
on  which  the  profoundest  minds,  in  all  ages,  have  been  exercised. 
Difficulties  have  been  found,  too,  from  an  unwillingness,  on  the  part 
of  critics,  to  receive  the  plain  truths  which  the  Apostle  teaches. 
The  natural  heart  is  averse  to  them,  and  will  not  receive  them. 
A  converted  caviler  once  said  to  me :  "  When  my  proud  heart  was 
humbled,  and  I  was  willing  to  be  in  the  hands  of  a  sovereign  God,  my 
objections  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  all  vanished."  Yet  another 
reason  why  so  much  difficulty  has  been  found  with  this  Epistle  is, 
that  men  are  unwilling  to  stop  where  the  Apostle  stops.  When 
Paul  states  a  simple  fact,  men  must  get  up  a  theory  to  account  for 
that  fact.  The  fact  may  be  clear  and  plain ;  but  the  theory  is 
obscure  or  absurd,  and  becomes  a  matter  of  debate  and  controversy. 
The  most  essential  requisite  to  a  right  understanding  of  this  Epistle 
is  an  humble,  docile,  prayerful  spirit — a  readiness  to  do  the  will  of 
God,  that  so  we  may  know  of  the  doctrine. 

S. — Can  you  furnish  us  with  a  brief  analysis  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  consists,  I  should  say,  of  three  parts.     The  first,  which 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  669 

includes  the  first  eight  chapters,  is  occupied  in  the  discussion  of 
the  doctrine  of  justification  and  its  consequences.  The  second 
part,  embracing  chapters  nine  to  eleven,  treats  of  the  calling  of  the 
Gentiles,  and  the  rejection  and  future  conversion  of  the  Jews.  The 
third  part  consists  of  practical  exhortations,  and  salutations  of 
Christians  at  Rome. 

After  the  usual  salutations,  Paul  begins  bj  showing  the  entire 
sinfulness  and  ruin  of  the  Gentile  world  (i.  18-32).  He  next 
shows  that  the  Jews  are  alike  guilty  and  undone;  that  "both  Jews 
and  Gentiles  are  all  under  sin"  (ii.  1-29).  The  Jew  now  objects: 
"  What  advantage  then  liath  the  Jew,  and  what  profit  is  there  of 
circumcision  ?  "  To  this  the  Apostle  answers,  insisting,  at  tlie  same 
time,  that  the  advantage  does  7iot  consist  in  this,  that  the  Jew  can 
be  justified  b}'"  the  Avorks  of  the  law.  "  By  the  deeds  of  the  law  shall 
no  flesh  be  justified  in  the  sight  of  God  ;  "  but  every  one,  whether 
Jew  or  Gentile,  if  justified  at  all,  "  must  be  justified  freely  by  his 
grace,  through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Jesus." 

"  What  shall  we  say  then,"  replies  the  Jew,  "  that  Abraham  our 
father,  as  pertaining  to  the  flesh,  hath  found  ?  "  Not  this,  answers 
Paul,  that  Abraham  was  justified  by  works.  For  it  is  said,  "  Abra- 
ham believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  to  him  for  righteousness." 
And  all  this  was  done  before  he  was  circumcised  ;  and  he  received 
the  sign  of  circumcision,  a  seal  of  the  righteousness  of  the  faith 
which  he  had  yet  being  uncircumcised,  that  he  might  be  the  father 
of  all  them  that  believe,  though  they  be  not  circumcised,  that 
righteousness  might  be  imputed  unto  them  also  (Chap.  iv.  11). 
The  method  by  which  God  saves  sinners,  Paul  goes  on  to  say, 
"  is  analogous  to  that  by  which  they  were  first  brought  under  con- 
demnation." "  As  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all 
men  to  condemnation,  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,  the  free  gift 
came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life"  (Chap.  v.  18). 

"  What  shall  we  say  then,"  the  Jew  retorts  ?  "  Shall  we  continue 
in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound  ?  "  "  By  no  means,"  Paul  answers 
"  How  shall  we  who  are  dead  to  sin  live  any  longer  therein  ?    Sin 


660  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

shall  not  have  domiiiiuii  over  us ;  for  we  are  not  under  the  law,  but 
under  grace  "  (Chap.  vi.  15). 

"  What  then,"  the  Jew  persists ;  "  Shall  we  sin,  because  we  are 
not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace  ?  "  The  Apostle  proceeds  still 
further  to  contradict  and  refute  these  Antinomian  objections, 
through  the  remainder  of  the  sixth  chapter. 

In  the  seventh  chapter,  Paul  shows,  that  the  use  of  the  law  is  to 
convict  and  not  to  save.  It  condemns,  but  cannot  deliver.  Deliv- 
erance must  come,  if  it  comes  at  all,  through  faith  that  is  in  Christ 
Jesus.  And  those  who  have  part  in  this  redemption  are  perfectly 
safe.  They  are  free  from  the  condemning  sentence  of  the  law. 
They  have  the  in-dwelling,  life-giving  Spirit.  They  are  the  chosen, 
the  called,  the  justified,  according  to  God's  gracious  purpose  ;  and 
will  soon  be  among  the  glorified  children  of  God. 

S. — Thus  closes  the  analysis  of  what  you  call  the  first  part  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Romans.  Please  set  before  us  the  leading  topics 
of  the  second  part. 

F. — This  relates  to  the  Divine  purpose  respecting  the  Jews — to 
their  rejection  and  future  conversion.  The  Apostle  commences  the 
ninth  chapter  with  a  strong  expression  of  his  regard  for  the  Jews. 
"•  I  have  great  heaviness  and  continual  sorrow  in  my  heart,  for  my 
brethren,  my  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh."  Still,  God  has 
nowhere  bound  himself  to  consider  them  only  as  his  children.  "  He 
hath  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy ;  and  he  will  have  compas- 
sion on  whom  he  will  have  compassion."  And  when  the  objection 
comes  up,  "  Why  doth  he  yet  find  fault ;  for  who  hath  resisted 
his  will?"  the  Apostle  replies,  not  by  a  metaphysical  explana- 
tion, but  by  an  assertion  of  the  rights  and  the  sovereignty  of 
God.  "  Who  art  thou,  O  man,  that  repliest  against  God  ?  "  The 
rejection  of  the  Jews,  the  writer  goes  on  to  say,  is  not  total ; 
and  so  far  as  it  extends,  is  entirely  on  account  of  their  unbelief. 
Neither  is  their  rejection  final.  They  are  yet  to  be  gathered  into 
the  fold  of  Christ,  "  and  so  all  Israel  shall  be  saved  "  (Chapters 
ix.-xi). 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  661 

S. — How  will  you  characterize  the  third  or  practical  part  of  the 
Epistle  ? 

F. — This  extends  from  the  twelfth  chapter  to  the  end.  It  con- 
sists of  directions  as  to  the  feelings  and  duties  of  Christians  towards 
God,  to  one  another,  to  their  fellow-creatures,  and  themselves;  and 
for  directness,  plainness,  fullness,  conciseness,  it  is  without  a 
parallel.  I  know  not  where  so  much  sound,  ethical,  spiritual, 
practical  instruction,  in  so  few  words,  can  be  found  in  our  own  lan- 
guage, or  in  any  other.  If  Paul  had  written  nothing  but  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Romans,  he  might  justly  be  regarded  as  the  prince,  not 
only  of  theological  and  religious  teachers,  but  of  moral  and  ethical 
philosphers. 

S. — Are  not  the  salutations  in  the  last  chapter  remarkable,  seeing 
that  the  writer  had  never  been  at  Rome  ? 

F. — They  are  indeed.  They  show  the  intimate  acquaintance 
which  the  Apostle  kept  up  with  distinguished  Christians  in  other 
parts  of  the  world,  even  those  whom  he  had  never  seen  with  eyes  of 
flesh.  They  show  the  interest  which  he  felt  in  them,  the  love  he 
had  for  them,  and  their  essential  unity  in  Christ  their  head.  These 
holy  brethren  and  sisters  are  no  longer  sundered.  They  have  long 
been  together  in  that  blessed  world  to  which  their  Savior  went 
before  them,  and  where  all  the  ransomed  will  shortly  follow.  May 
we  all  be  of  the  happy  number. 


CONVERSATION  XIY. 

EPISTLES  OF  PAUL  Continued.— Paul's  first  voyage  to  Rome.— His  writings  while 
there. — Epistle  to  the  Ephesiaiis. — Christiauity  introduced  there  by  Paul. — Analysis 
of  this  letter. — The  Epistle  to  the  Colossians. — The  first  cliurch  established  by  Paul 
and  Silas. 

Father. — While  Paul  was  in  Macedonia  and  Greece,  he  seems  to 
have  written  three  Epistles  ;  the  first  to  Timothy,  the  second  to 
the  Corinthians,  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans.  When  he  had 
finished  taking  np  collections  for  the  poor  at  Jerusalem,  he  passed 
from  Corinth,  through  Macedonia,  into  Asia.  He  did  not  stop  at 
Ephesus,  but  saw  the  elders  of  the  church  at  Miletus,  and  has- 
tened on  to  Jerusalem  to  the  Passover.  At  Jerusalem  he  was 
apprehended  and  sent  a  prisoner  to  Csesarea,  where  he  was  de- 
tained two  years. 

Son. — Did  he  write  no  letters  during  this  interval  ? 

F. — None  that  we  know  of.  Perhaps  he  could  not,  the  circum- 
stances of  his  confinement  forbidding  it.  At  the  end  of  two  years, 
he  made  his  voyage  to  Rome,  arriving  there  in  the  year  61.  Here 
he  had  more  liberty.  He  resided  in  his  own  hired  house,  and 
received  all  that  came  to  him.  Here  he  wrote  five  of  his  Epistles 
that  have  come  to  us,  viz.,  those  to  the  Ephesians,  to  the  Philip- 
pians,  to  the  Colossians,  to  Philemon,  and  to  the  Hebrews ;  for  I 
cannot  doubt  that  Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and 
that  it  was  written  at  Rome.  Let  us  consider  these  in  the  order 
in  which  they  are  supposed  to  have  been  written.     We  begin  with 

Vlir.     THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE   EPHESIANS. 

S. — Where  was  Ej)hesus,  and  for  wliat  was  it  chiefly  celebrated  ? 

F. — Ephesus  was  a  distinguished  city  in  Asia  Minor,  situated 
about  forty  miles  south  of  Smyrna,  near  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Cayster.  It  was  not,  like  Smyrna,  a  commercial  city,  and  was 
remarkable,  chiefly,  for  its  idolatry.  Here  was  the  celebrated  tem- 
ple of  Diana, — the  most  magnificent  of  any  temple  in  Asia. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  663 

S. — Wlieii,  and  by  whom,  was  the  gospel  first  preached  here? 

F. — Undoubtedly  by  the  Apostle  Paul,  about  the  year  54.  On 
his  journey  from  Corinth  to  Jerusalem,  in  this  year,  he  came  to 
Ephesus ;  but  as  he  intended  no  more  than  a  passing  visit,  he 
preached  only  to  the  Jews.  He  was  requested  to  tarry  longer, 
but  he  could  not.  He  promised,  however,  to  return  after  liis  visit 
to  Jerusalem  ; — which  promise  he  fulfilled,  and  continued  at  Ephe- 
sus about  three  j-ears.*  It  was  during  this  period  that  the  church 
was  founded,  to  which  the- Epistle  before  us  was  addressed. 

S. — Have  not  some  critics  doubted  whether  this  Epistle  was 
originally  addressed  to  the  church  at  Ephesus. 

F. — They  have  ;  but  I  think  without  sufficient  reason.  The 
principal  thing  urged  against  the  common  direction  of  tlie  Epis- 
tle is,  that  it  contains  no  allusion  to  events  which  occurred  during 
Paul's  residence  at  Ephesus,  and  no  salutations  of  his  numerous 
friends  there.  Perhaps  the  reason  for  the  latter  omission  was, 
that  his  friends  M'ere  so  numerous.  He  could  not  particularly 
mention  them  all,  and  did  not  wish  to  make  invidious  distinctions. 
Some  have  regarded  the  Epistle  as  a  circular,  designed  to  be  read 
in  all  the  churches  ;  and,  in  a  sense,  this  is  true.  Paul  did  design 
it  to  be  read  by  other  churches  ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  his 
other  Epistles.  To  the  Colossians  he  says  :  "  When  this  Epistle  is 
read  among  you,  cause  it  to  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the 
Laodiceans ;  and  that  ye  also  read  the  Epistle  from  Laodicea " 
(Col.  iv.  16).  But  the  evidence  is  decisive  that  the  Epistle  before 
us  was  originally  addressed  to  the  Ephesians.  Rosenmiiller  says 
that  "  most  of  the  ancient  codices,  and  all  the  ancient  versions," 
so  represent  it. 

aS'. — Please  give  us  a  brief  analysis  of  this  Epistle. 

F. — The  Epistle  obviously  consists  of  two  j)arts,  the  doctrinal 
and  the  2?ractical ;  the  former  occupying  the  three  first  chapters, 
and  the  latter  the  last  three.  The  doctrines  specially  taught  and 
illustrated  are,  1.  that  of  native  and  entire  depravity — "dead  in 

*See  Acts  xviii.  3,  and  xix.  1. 


564  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

trespasses  and  sins"  (ii.  1-3).  2.  The  doctrine  of  regeneration: 
"  You  hath  he  quickened  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  " 
(ii.  1-5).  3.  The  doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace  alone,  without 
regard  to  our  own  works  (ii.  8,  9).  4.  The  doctrine  of  election  or 
predestination.  "  Being  predestinated  according  to  the  purpose 
of  him  who  worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  own 
will  "  (i.  11). 

The  practical  part  of  the  Epistle  consists  chiefly  in  exhortations 
to  unity  and  love ;  to  a  holy  life,  in  general,  avoiding  all  sinful 
practices ;  and  to  a  stri6t  observance  of  all  relative  duties — those 
of  husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  children,  masters  and  servants. 

*S'. — How  do  you  regard  the  style  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  is  exceedingly  animated.  The  Apostle  loves  to  dwell  on 
the  eternal  jjurposes  of  Divine  mercy.  Into  that  subject  he  entered 
with  a  full  heart.  In  none  of  his  writings  is  there  evinced  more 
ardor  and  elevation  of  soul  than  in  this  Epistle.  The  great  doc- 
trine of  predestination  he  approaches  as  one  of  vital  interest  and 
importance,  urging  it  as  the  basis  of  Christian  hope,  and  the  foun- 
dation of  eternal  gratitude  and  praise. 

IX.    EPISTLE   TO    THE   COLOSSIANS. 

S. — Why  do  we  take  up  the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians  before 
that  to  the  Philippians  ? 

F. — Because  there  is  internal  evidence  that  it  was  written  first. 
There  is  a  striking  similarity  between  the  Epistles  to  the  Ephe- 
sians  and  Colossians,  which  indicates  that  they  were  written  at 
about  the  same  time.  Besides,  they  were  both  sent  by  Tychicus, 
who  was  returning  from  Rome  to  Asia,  where  he  belonged.  The 
Epistle  to  the  Philippians  was  evidently  written  later,  near  the 
close  of  Paul's  first  imprisonment.  In  Chapter  ii.  25,  Paul  says 
to  the  Philippians :  "  I  trust  in  the  Lord  that  I  myself  shall  come 
to  you  shortly," — implying  that  he  expected  soon  to  be  released. 

S. — Where  was  Colosse,  and  what  can  you  tell  us  of  its  history  ? 

F. — Colosse  was  a  celebrated  city  of  Phrygia,  in  Asia  Minor,  a 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  666 


little  way  east  from  Epliesus, — subject,  like  all  the  surrounding 
region,  to  the  Romans. 

S. — Who  first  preached  the  gospel  there  ? 

F. — Paul  and  Silas,  accompanied  by  young  Timothy,  who  was 
just  commencing  his  Avork  as  an  evangelist.  This  was  during 
Paul's  second  mission  from  Antioch.  At  a  later  period,  Paul 
visited  Phrygia  and  Colosse  again  (Acts  xviii.  23). 

S. — What  do  you  think  of  the  Epistle  to  Laodicea,  spoken  of  in 
this  Epistle  ?  (iv.  16.) 

F. — My  opinion  is  that  there  was  such  an  Epistle,  which  has  not 
been  preserved.  Laodicea  was  near  Colosse,  and  was  the  chief 
city  of  Phrygia.  In  his  tours  through  Phrygia,  Paul  must  have 
visited  it,  and  planted  a  church  there.  And  when  he  was  writing 
to  Ephesus  and  Colosse,  he  could  hardly  have  failed  to  remember 
Laodicea.  Besides,  the  language  of  the  Apostle  in  the  Epistle 
before  us  is  explicit :  "  When  this  Epistle  is  read  among  you,  cause 
that  it  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans ;  and  that  you 
also  read  the  Epistle  from  Laodicea"  (ii.  16).  Nor  do  I  think  it 
any  objection  to  the  Bible,  that  some  of  the  inspired  writings  may 
have  been  lost.  Their  inspiration  no  more  insures  them  against 
loss,  than  it  does  against  various  readings  or  mistranslations.  If 
some  of  the  inspired  writings  have  been  lost,  let  us  love  what 
remains  to  us  the  more,  and  cling  to  it  vfiih.  a  firmer  grasp. 

S. — Is  there  not  a  wTiting  extant  claiming  to  be  the  lost  Epis- 
tle to  the  Laodiceans? 

F. — There  is;  but  it  has  no  authority.  It  is  universally  re- 
garded as  a  forgery. 

S. — What  was  the  occasion  and  design  of  this  Epistle  to  the 
Colossians  ? 

F. — There  were  errors  threatening,  and  to  some  extent  prevail- 
ing, at  Colosse,  which  the  Apostle  hoped  to  correct.  Some  of 
these  errors  were  of  a  philosophical  cast,  growing  out  of  the 
spreading  influence  of  Gnosticism.  This  led  the  Apostle  to  say : 
"  Beware,   lest   any  man  spoil  you  through  philosophy  and  vain 

35 


566  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


deceit,  after  the  tradition  of  men,  after  the  rudiments  of  the  world, 
and  not  after  Christ."  In  another  place,  he  says :  "  Let  no  man 
beguile  you  of  your  reward,  in  a  voluntary  humility,  and  worship- 
ing of  angels,  intruding  into  those  things  which  he  hath  not  seen, 
vainly  puffed  up  in  his  fleshly  mind."  Still  another  class  of 
errors  arose  from  the  influence  of  Judaizing  teachers,  which  led  the 
watchful  Apostle  to  say:  "Let  no  man,  therefore,  judge  you  in 
meat,  or  in  drink,  or  in.  3:-espect  of  an  holyday,  or  of  the  new  moon, 
or  of  the  Sabbath  day"  (Chap.  ii.  8,  16,  18). 

S. — Does  not  this  last  passage  prove  that  the  weekly  Sabbath 
had  been  abolished,  together  with  other  Jewish  observances  ? 

F. — I  think  not.  The  Sabbath  days  here  spoken  of  were  prob- 
ably Jewish  festal  days,  which  were  days  of  rest,  and  were  fre- 
quently called  Sabbaths.  Or  if  the  Aveekly  was  referred  to,  it 
must  have  been  the  Seventh-day,  Jewish  Sabbath,  which  was 
already  giving  place  to  "  the  Lord's  day  " — the  first  day  of  the 
week.  It  was  on  this  day  that  the  churches  generally,  and  espe- 
cially those  among  the  Gentiles,  assembled  for  worship  (see  1  Cor. 
xvi.  2). 

S. — Were  there  not  errors  in  practice,  as  well  as  in  doctrine, 
against  which  the  Apostle  protests  ? 

F. — There  is  no  mention  of  any  disorders,  like  those  which  pre- 
vailed in  the  church  at  Corinth,  or  of  any  sins,  except  such  as  were 
common  to  all  the  heathen  before  conversion.  Paul  does  indeed 
say  to  his  brethren  :  "  Mortify,  therefore,  your  members  which  are 
upon  the  earth,  fornication,  uncleanness,  inordinate  affection,  evil 
concupiscence,  and  covetousness,  which  is  idolatry;  for  which 
things  the  wrath  of  God  cometh  on  the  children  of  disobedience  ; 
in  the  which  ye  also  walked,  when  ye  lived  in  them.  But  now  ye 
also  put  off  all  these  ;  anger,  Avrath,  malice,  blasphemy,  filthy  com- 
munication out  of  your  mouth.  Lie  not  one  to  another,  seeing 
that  ye  have  put  off  the  old  man,  with  his  deeds,  and  have  put  on 
the  new  man,  which  is  renewed  in  knowledge,  after  the  image  of 
him  that  created  him  "  (Chap.  iii.  5-10). 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  567 

S. — Were  there  any  special  reasons  why  an  Epistle  was  sent  by 
Paul  to  the  Colossians  at  this  time  ? 

F. — There  were.  Philemon,  to  whom  Onesimus,  his  converted 
servant,  was  at  this  time  sent  back  with  a  letter,  was  a  member  of 
the  church  at  Colosse.  This  may  have  been  one  reason  why  a  letter 
was  also  sent  to  that  church.  Another  reason  was,  that  Epaphras, 
a  much  beloved  member  of  the  Colossian  church,  was  at  that  time 
a  fellow  prisoner  with  Paul  at  Rome,  and  he  wished  to  inform  them 
respecting  their  brother.  "  Epaphras,  my  fellow  prisoner,  who  is 
one  of  you,  a  servant  of  Christ,  saluteth  you,  always  laboring  fer- 
vently for  you  in  prayers,  that  ye  may  stand  perfect  and  complete 
in  all  the  will  of  God  "  (Chap.  iv.  12.) 

This  Epistle  so  closely  resembles  that  to  the  Ephesians,  that  any 
remarks  as  to  the  style  and  manner  of  it  are  needless. 


CONYEKSATION  XV. 

EPISTLES  OF  PAUL  Continued.— Epistle  to  Philemon.— Who  Philemon  was.— The 
servant  of  Philemon. — The  question  of  human  slavery. — Did  Paul  countenance  it. — 
Epistle  to  the  Philippians. — Description  of  Philippi. — Paul  and  Silas  co-laborers  here. 
— Miraculous  deliverance  from  prison. — Character  of  this  Epistle. 

X.    EPISTLE   TO  PHILEMON. 

Son. — Who  was  Philemon  ? 

Father. — He  was  a  member  of  the  church  at  Colosse,  and  a  man 
of  wealth  and  influence  in  the  church ;  for  the  Apostle,  expecting 
ere  long  to  return  there,  asks  him  to  provide  him  a  lodging  (v.  22). 

S. — And  who  was  Onesimus  ? 

F. — He  was  a  servant  of  Philemon, — whether  such  by  purchase, 
or  indenture,  or  hire,  we  cannot  say, — who  had  run  away  from  his 
master  at  Colosse,  and  had  come  to  Rome.  Here  he  found  Paul,  a 
prisoner  at  large,  with  whom  he  may  have  had  some  acquaintance 
at  Colosse.  Through  the  influence  of  the  Apostle,  Onesimus  was 
converted.  He  may  have  been  a  wild  and  intractable  youth  before, 
but  he  is  now  a  new  creature — in  his  right  mind — prepared  to  sit 
at  the  feet  of  Christ,  and  to  do  him  service.  He  wishes  to  return 
to  his  master  at  Colosse,  and  Paul  wishes  to  have  him.  He  does 
not  wish  to  harbor  or  encourage  a  fugitive,  without  the  consent  of 
his  master.  And  so  Paul  writes  a  letter  to  Philemon — the  very 
letter  which  we  have  before  us — and  sends  it  by  the  hand  of 
Onesimus,  who  goes  with  Tychicus,  carrying  letters  to  the  Colos- 
sians  and  the  Ephesians. 

S. — Was  it  the  design  of  Paul,  in  returning  Onesimus,  to  con- 
sign him  back  to  slavery  ?  And  may  his  example  be  referred  to,  in 
our  day,  in  justification  of  returning  fugitive  slaves  ? 

F. — I  think  not.  There  is  a  mighty  difference  in  the  two  cases. 
We  do  not  know,  in  the  first  place,  that  Onesimus  was  a  proper 
slave.  He  may  have  been  a  hired  servant,  or  an  indented  appren- 
tice.    But  supposing  he  was  a  proper  slave,  bought  with  money,  and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  5G9 

legally  held  to  service  for  life,  Paul  did  not  consign  him  to  perpet- 
ual slavery,  but  encouraged  him  to  go  back  with  a  letter,  which  he 
knew  would  be  likel}-  to  effect  his  freedom, — as  undoubtedly  it  did. 
The  hunter  of  slaves,  in  our  day,  does  consign  them  to  perpetual 
slavery,  and  often  to  punishment.  This  is  what  he  expects  and  in- 
tends to  do,  and  is  paid  for  doing.  But  Paul  sends  Onesimus  back 
under  circumstances  which  he  expects  and  intends  shall  secure  his 
freedom,  preferring  that  the  young  man  should  be  legally  free, 
rather  than  bear  the  reproach  and  the  hazards  of  a  fugitive. 

S. — What  arguments  does  Paul  use,  to  induce  Philemon  to 
release  his  servant  ? 

F. — None  directly  ;  but  indirectly  and  most  skillfully  he  makes 
suggestions  and  entreaties,  all  tending  to  that  result.  "  Where- 
fore, though  I  might  be  much  bold  in  Christ  to  enjoin  thee  that 
which  is  convenient,  yet,  for  love's  sake,  I  rather  beseech  thee, 
being  such  a  one  as  Paul  the  aged,  and  now  also  a  prisoner  of  Jesus 
Christ, — I  beseech  thee  for  my  son  Onesimus,  whom  I  have  begot- 
ten in  my  bond's,  who,  in  time  past  was  to  thee  unprofitable,  but 
now  profitable  to  thee  and  to  me,  whom  I  have  sent  again.  Thou, 
therefore,  receive  him,  i.  c,  mine  own  bowels ;  whom  I  would  have 
retained  with  me,  that,  in  thy  stead,  he  might  have  ministered  unto 
me  in  the  bonds  of  the  gospel.  But  without  thy  mind  I  would  do 
nothing,  that  thy  benefit  should  not  be  as  it  were  of  necessity,  but 
willingly.  For  perhaps  he  therefore  departed  for  a  season,  that 
thou  shouldst  receive  him  forever,  not  now  as  a  servant,  but  above 
a  servant,  a  brother  beloved,  especially  to  me,  but  how  much  more 
unto  thee,  both  in  the  flesh  and  in  the  Lord.  If  thou  count  me 
therefore  a  partner,  receive  him  as  myself.  If  he  hath  wronged 
thee,  or  oweth  thee  aught,  put  that  on  my  account.  I,  Paul,  have 
written  it  with  my  own  hand,  I  will  repay  it ;  albeit  I  do  not  say 
to  thee  how  thou  owest  unto  me  even  thine  own  self.  Yea, 
brother,  let  me  have  joy  of  thee  in  the  Lord.  Refresh  my  bowels 
in  the  Lord.  Having  confidence  in  thy  obedience,  I  have  writ- 
ten   unto    thee,    knowing   that   thou   wilt   do   more  than    I  say " 


570  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

(verses  8-21).  Was  ever  anything  more  adroitly  touching,  melt- 
ing, and  irresistibly  persuasive  than  this  ?  No  wonder  that  the 
result  was  in  accordance  with  the  Apostle's  wishes. 

S. — How  has  this  short  Epistle  been  regarded  by  the  best  inter- 
preters ? 

F. — They  have  spoken  of  it  with  unmeasured  praise.  One  calls 
it  "  a  bright  and  beautiful  gem  in  the  volume  of  inspiration." 
Another  says,  "  It  is  exquisitely  beautiful  and  delicate,  a  model  of 
courtesy  and  politeness.  It  presents  the  character  of  the  author  in 
a  most  amiable  light,  and  shows  what  true  religion  will  produce,  in 
causing  genuine  refinement  of  thought  and  language."  Dr.  Dod- 
dridge says  :  "  It  is  impossible  to  read  over  this  admirable  Epistle, 
without  being  touched  with  the  delicacy  of  sentiment,  and  the 
masterly  address,  that  appear  in  every  part  of  it.  If  this  letter  were 
to  be  considered  in  no  other  view  than  as  a  mere  human  composi- 
tion, it  must  be  allowed  to  be  a  masterpiece  in  its  kind." 

XI.      EPISTLE   TO   THE   PHILIPPIANS. 

S. — We  have  heard  much  of  Philippi  in  these  Conversations,  but 
should  like  to  have  a  more  particular  description  of  the  place. 

F. — Philippi  received  its  name  from  Philip,  the  father  of  Alexan- 
der the  great.  When  the  Romans  took  possession  of  it,  the  advan- 
tages of  its  situation  induced  them  to  send  a  colony  there,  and  it 
became  one  of  the  most  flourishing  cities  of  the  empire. 

S, — Who  first  preached  the  gospel  here  ? 

F. — Paul  and  Silas,  and  the  young  men  who  accompanied  them. 
We  have  a  full  account  of  their  first  visit  to  Philippi  in  the  six- 
teenth chapter  of  the  Acts.  Here  it  was  that  "  the  Lord  opened 
the  heart  of  Lydia,  that  she  should  attend  to  the  things  that  were 
spoken  of  Paul."  Here  it  was  that  the  jailor  was  converted,  and 
Paul  and  Silas  were  miraculously  delivered  from  prison.  Philippi 
was  the  first  place  in  Europe  which  Paul  visited,  and  this  fact 
invests  it  with  more  of  interest  and  honor  than  any  other  connected 
with  its  history. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  571 


S. — Did  Paul  make  more  than  one  visit  to  Philippi  ? 

F. — Yes ;  in  his  passages  between  Europe  and  Asia,  he  was 
repeatedly  here.  It  was  here  that  he  wrote  his  first  Epistle  to 
Timothy,  and  his  second  to  the  Corinthians.  It  was  a  place  which 
he  loved  to  visit,  and  Avhere  he  was  ever  cordially  entertained. 

S. — Where  was  Paul  when  he  wrote  his  Epistle  to  the  Philip- 
pians  ? 

F. — He  was  undoubtedly  at  Rome  ;  and  it  seems  to  have  been 
near  the  close  of  his  first  imprisonment.  This  is  evident  from  sev- 
eral considerations.  He  had  now  been  so  long  at  Rome  that 
'*■  his  bonds  were  talked  of  in  all  the  palace,"  and  "  in  all  other 
places,"  and  some  of  Caesar's  household  were  numbered  among  his 
converts  (Chap.  i.  13,  and  iv.  22).  His  good  conduct  as  a  prisoner 
had  become  so  well  known,  that  it  contributed  not  a  little  to  the 
success  of  the  gospel.  "  Many  of  the  brethren,  waxing  confident 
by  my  bonds,  are  much  more  bold  to  speak  the  word  without  fear  " 
(Chap.  i.  14).  Then  at  the  time  when  this  Epistle  was  written, 
Paul  regarded  the  decision  of  his  case  as  near  at  hand.  "  I  hope  to 
send  Timothy  presently,  so  soon  as  I  see  how  it  will  go  with  me. 
I  trust  in  the  Lord  that  I  myself  also  shall  come  shortly  "  (Chap, 
ii.  22,  23).  It  was  while  Paul  was  deliberating  on  the  near  pros- 
pect of  a  release,  or  an  execution,  that  he  speaks  of  the  compara- 
tive desirableness  of  life  and  of  death.  "  For  me  to  live  is  Christ, 
and  to  die  is  gain.  I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire  to 
depart  and  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far  better  "  (Chap.  i.  23). 

*S'. — What  was  the  immediate  occasion  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — The  Philippians  had  sent  Epaphroditus,  one  of  their  breth- 
ren, to  Rome,  to  carry  supplies  to  the  Apostle  during  his  confine- 
ment. Epaphroditus  had  been  dangerously  sick  there.  On  his 
recovery  Paul  deemed  it  desirable  that  he  should  return  at  once  to 
Philippi,  carrying  his  thanks  for  their  timely  assistance,  and  a  letter 
giving  them  information  as  to  his  condition  and  prospects.  This 
letter  is  the  one  before  us. 

S. — What  have  you  to  say  as  to  the  character  of  this  Epistle  ? 


572  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


F. — No  one  of  Paul's  Epistles  is  so  tender,  and  abounds  so  much 
with  expressions  of  kindness,  as  this.  In  the  case  of  other  churches, 
the  Apostle  was  often  under  the  necessity  of  administering  reproof; 
but  in  the  church  at  Philippi,  there  was  very  little  that  required 
censure,  while  there  was  much  that  demanded  commendation  and 
gratitude.  The  conduct  of  these  brethren  towards  the  Apostle  had 
been  generous  and  noble,  and  he  could  but  thank  and  bless  them 
for  it.  His  language  to  them  throughout  is  of  the  most  affectionate 
character,  such  as  a  benevolent  heart  always  wishes  to  employ,  and 
such  as  must  have  been  most  grateful  to  them. 

It  is  interesting,  too,  to  regard  the  circumstances  of  Paul,  and  to 
look  at  the  Epistle  as  growing  right  out  of  them.  He  had  long 
been  a  prisoner,  under  heavy  accusations  ;  and  although  there  was 
some  expectation  of  a  speedy  release,  yet  his  situation  was  such  as 
constrained  him  to  look  death  in  the  face.  His  language,  at  such  a 
time,  we  might  expect  would  be  solemn,  confident,  tender  and  affec- 
tionate, and  such  we  find  it  through  the  whole  Epistle.  It  is  the 
language  of  a  father,  rather  than  that  of  a  teacher  and  Apostle ;  the 
tender  entreaties  of  a  friend,  rather  than  the  injunctions  of  one 
having  authority.  To  all  ages,  it  will  be  a  model  of  affectionate 
suggestion  and  advice. 


CONVERSATION  XVI. 

EPISTLE  TO  THE  HEBREWS.— The  Jews  to  whom  this  was  written.— Disputed 
autliorship. — The  leading  idea  of  this  Epistle. — Bish<ip  Clement  of  Rome. — Paul's 
friend. — Paul's  authorship  established. — The  importance  of  the  authorship  of  this 
Epistle. — One  of  the  most  valued  parts  of  the  New  Testament. 

Son. — Who  were  the  Hebrews  to  whom  this  Epistle  was  ad- 
dressed ? 

Father. — They  were  certainly  Jews ;  for  this  name  was  never  ap- 
plied to  any  other  people.  They  were  also  converted  Jews.  This 
is  evident  from  the  Epistle  itself.  The  writer  is  not  addressing  un- 
believing, blaspheming  Jews,  but  those  who  had  adopted  the 
Christian  faith.  It  is  likely  that  the  Epistle  was  addressed,  prima- 
rily, to  the  Jews  in  Palestine.  Foreign  Jews  were  not  commonly 
called  Hebrews,  but  Hellenists,  strangers,  the  dispersed,  etc. 

S. — Who  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  ? 

F. — This  has  long  been,  and  still  is,  a  disputed  question.  My 
own  opinion  is  that  Paul  wrote  this  Epistle  ;  but  some  learned  men 
think  differently. 

S. — What  considerations  are  urged  to  show  that  Paul  did  not 
write  it  ? 

F. — One  is,  that  his  name  is  not  prefixed  to  it  as  it  is  to  his  other 
Epistles.  But  I  think  this  omission  may  be  satisfactorily  explained. 
There  was  a  strong  prejudice  among  the  Jews,  even  Christian 
Jews,  against  Paul.  This  prejudice  was  so  strong  that  many 
of  them,  during  the  life  of  Paul,  were  led  to  deny  his  Apos- 
tleship,  which  circumstance  imposed  on  him  the  disagreeable 
necessity  of  vindicating  it.  At  a  later  period  these  Judaizing 
Christians  rejected  all  the  Epistles  of  Paul,  and  regarded  them  as  of 
no  authority.  Paul  was  perfectly  aware  of  this  feeling  of  hostility 
among  his  Jewish  brethren.  Still,  he  felt  a  deep  interest  in  them, 
and  an  earnest  desire  to  do  them  good.  It  was  in  the  hope  of 
doing  them  good  that  he  wrote  them  this  Epistle ;  and,  as  a  wise 


574  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

man,  he  would  not  bar  the  effort  and  preclude  the  possibility  of  a 
good  result  by  prefixing  his  name  to  it. 

S. — Is  there  any  other  argument  of  importance  against  the 
Pauline  origin  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  is  said  to  contain  many  words  and  phrases  which  are  not 
found  in  the  other  Epistles  of  Paul.  But  this  argument  is  of  little 
weight.  There  are  peculiar  words  and  phrases  in  Paul's  other 
Epistles.  In  writing  on  different  occasions,  to  different  persons  or 
churches,  and  on  different  subjects,  he  was  constrained  to  use  dif- 
ferent words  and  phrases.  The  peculiarities  in  this  respect,  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  are  not  more  numerous  or  various  than  the 
subjects  of  which  he  was  called  to  treat. 

S. — Please  give  us  a  succinct  account  of  the  arguments  which 
satisfy  you  that  Paul  is  the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

F. — I  would  cite,  in  the  first  place,  the  standing  title  of  the  Epis- 
tle in  our  Bibles :  "•  The  Epistle  of  Paul  the  Apostle  to  the 
Hebrews."  This  title,  though  not  written  by  the  author  of  the 
Epistle,  and  having  no  Divine  authority,  was  very  early  prefixed  to 
it.  It  is  found,  not  only  in  the  Greek  manuscripts,  but  in  all  the 
early  versions,  as  the  Syriac  and  the  Itala,  and  expresses,  without 
doubt,  the  current  belief  at  the  time.  It  is  scarcely  possible  that  a 
mistake  should  be  so  early  made  on  this  point ;-  and  unless  we  have 
strong  evidence  to  the  contrary,  the  fact  here  adduced  ought  to 
determine  the  question. 

Then  the  character  and  the  circumstances  of  the  writer  of  this 
Epistle  all  agree  to  the  Apostle  Paul  and  to  no  one  else.  For  ex- 
ample, the  writer  must  have  been  a  Jew,  a  learned  Jew,  one  per- 
fectly acquainted  with  Jewish  institutions  and  rites.  And  yet  he 
was  a  converted  Jew,  a  firm  believer  in  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus, 
and  admirably  qualified  to  unfold  the  spiritual  significance  of  the 
Hebrew  ritual.  Now  all  this  agrees  perfectl}^  to  the  Apostle  Paul, 
and  not  in  an  equal  degree  to  any  other  Christian  of  that  age. 
Again :  this  Epistle  must  have  been  written  while  the  Jewish  tem- 
ple was  standing  and  its  rites  were  performed,  ^.  e.,  previous  to  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  675 

year  70,  Avheii  Jerusalem  and  the  temple  were  butli  destroyed  (see 
Heb.  viii.  4-5).  At  the  same  time  it  was  written  pretty  far  down 
in  the  Apostolic  age,  when  the  persons  addressed  are  exhorted  to 
"  call  to  remembrance  the  former  days,  when  they  -were  first  illu- 
minated, and  were  called  to  endure  a  great  fight  of  affliction."' 
They  are  reminded,  too,  that,  considering  the  time  and  privileges 
which  they  had  enjoyed,  they  "  ought  now  to  be  teachers,  and  not 
need  that  one  should  teach  them  again  what  be  the  first  principles 
of  the  oracles  of  God,"  No  time  can  be  fixed  upon  as  better  con- 
forming to  both  these  intimations,  than  about  the  year  63,  when 
Paul  is  supposed  to  have  written  the  Epistle.  Still  again :  the 
author  of  this  Epistle  was,  at  the  time  of  w^riting,  a  resident  in 
Italy,  and  a  companion  and  friend  of  Timothy.  "  They  of  Italy 
salute  you."  "  Our  brother  Timothy  is  set  at  liberty,"  or,  as  it  may 
better  be  rendered,  is  sent  away  (jChap.  xiii.  23,  24).  The  Avriter 
had  also  been  a  prisoner,  perhaps  was  so  still,  but  w'as  expecting 
soon  to  be  released :  "  Ye  had  compassion  on  me  in  my  bonds." 
"  Pray  for  us,  that  I  may  be  restored  to  you  the  sooner  "  (Chap.  x. 
34 ;  xiii.  19).  Noav  all  these  circumstances  agree  to  Paul  exactly, 
and  so  far  as  we  can  learn  to  no  one  else.  I  mention  but  another 
particular  in  which  the  writer  of  this  Epistle  agrees  with  Paul.  He 
had  not  been  a  hearer  or  follower  of  Christ,  during  his  public  min- 
istry :  "  How  shall  we  escape  if  ■we  neglect  so  great  salvation, 
which  at  the  first  began  to  be  spoken  by  the  Lord,  and  was  con- 
firmed unto  us  hy  them  that  heard  him'''  (Chap.  ii.  3).  Now  Paul, 
although  he  had  enjoyed  much  communion  with  Christ,  had  not 
been,  as  far  as  we  know,  a  personal  hearer  of  him. 

I  remark  again  ;  the  doctrines  of  this  Epistle  agree  entirely  with 
those  of  Paul.  In  all  his  Epistles,  the  death  of  Christ  is  set  forth 
as  the  great  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  sin,  of  which  the  bloody  sac- 
rifices of  the  former  dispensation  were  but  the  type.  I  need  not 
say  that  such  is  the  leading,  crowning  doctrine  of  the  Epistle  before 
us.  Some  of  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel  are  more  clearly  pre^ 
sented,  and  more  fully  explained  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 


676  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


than  in  any  other  part  of  the  New  Testament.      Still,  they  are 
throughout  the  doctrines  of  Paul. 

Still  again ;  the  form  and  inetliod  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
are  the  same  as  in  the  acknowledged  Epistles  of  Paul.  Under  this 
head,  I  will  notice  but  one  particular.  The  first  part  of  the  other 
Epistles  is  usually  doctrinal  and  argumentative,  while  the  latter 
part  is  practical  and  hortatory.  And  just  so  we  find  it  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  The  writer  beghis  to  apply  and  enforce 
his  reasonings  at  about  the  middle  of  the  tenth  chapter,  and  so  con- 
tinues to  the  end. 

S. — The  style  of  this  Epistle  is  continually  urged  to  disprove  its 
Pauline  origin.    How  does  this  matter  seem  to  you  ? 

F. — I  insist  that  the  style  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  in  its 
general  characteristics,  is  very  like  to  that  of  the  Epistles  of  Paul. 
In  both,  there  is  a  flow  and  fullness  of  style  which  can  hardly  be 
restrained.  The  mind  of  the  writer  is  filled  to  overflowing  ;  so  that 
if,  in  the  midst  of  a  discussion,  an  important  thought  strikes  him, 
he  is  obliged  to  go  off  in  a  long  parenthesis  before  he  can  finish  the 
point  in  hand.  I  need  not  refer  to  instances  of  this  kind  in  the 
acknowledged  Epistles  of  Paul.  But  we  find  the  same  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  As  examples  of  this  kind,  see  Chap.  iv. 
7-9,  vii.  21,  ix.  9,10,  xii.  20,  21.  In  numerous  instances,  too,  we 
have  expressions  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  precisely  similar  to 
some  in  the  other  Epistles  of  Paul.  Also  the  salutations  and  bene- 
dictions at  the  close  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  are  very  like  to 
those  of  Paul.  "  Salute  them  which  have  the  rule  over  you  ;  they 
of  Italy  salute  you.     Grace  be  with  you  all.     Amen." 

*S'. — What  is  the  testimony  of  history  on  this  question  ? 

F. — It  is  certain  that  the  Epistle  before  us  was  received  among 
the  canonical  books  of  the  Christians,  both  in  the  East  and  the 
West,  at  the  close  of  the  first  century,  or  in  the  very  beginning  of 
the  second.  It  is  contained  in  the  Peshito,  an  old  Syrian  version 
of  the  New  Testament,  and  also  in  the  old  Latin  version,  both  made 
at  a  very  early  period.     And  what  is,  if  possible,  more  conclusive,  it 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  677 

is  quoted  repeatedly  by  Clement  of  Rome,  in  his  first  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians,  and  quoted  as  having  scriptural  authority.  Now  this 
Clement  was  one  of  the  first  bishops  or  pastors  of  the  church  at 
Rome,  and  a  personal  friend  of  Paul,  of  whom  the  Apostle  says  that 
"  his  name  is  in  the  book  of  life  "  (riiil.  iv.  3).  Living  at  the  very 
time  and  in  the  place  where  this  Epistle  was  written,  Clement  must 
have  known  who  wrote  it.  Pantsemus  was  the  most  learned  man 
of  his  time,  the  founder  of  the  celebrated  school  at  Alexandria, 
who  lived  within  less  than  a  hundred  years  of  the  Apostles.  In  a 
passage  preserved  by  Eusebius,  he  says  expressly  that  Paul  wrote 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.*  The  successor  of  Pantsemus  in  the 
school  which  he  had  founded  was  Clement  of  Alexandria.  In  an 
extract  from  him  preserved  also  by  Eusebius  he  affirms  that  Paul  is 
the  author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.f  Origen,  who  succeeded 
Clement  in  the  school  at  Alexandria,  who  was  born  about  the  year 
185,  and  was  the  most  learned  of  the  ancient  fathers,  refers  re- 
peatedly and  expressly  to  the  Apostle  Paul  as  the  author  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  Thus,  "  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
the  same  Paul  says ; "  and  again,  "  Paul,  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  says ;  "  and  yet  again,  "  Paul,  the  greatest  of  the  Apostles, 
writing  to  the  Hebrews,  says,"  etc.|  Eusebius,  the  great  historian 
of  the  ancient  church,  says,  "  Fourteen  Epistles  are  clearly  and 
certainly  Paul's."  Of  course,  he  includes  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews ;  since,  without  it,  there  would  be  but  thirteen  Epistles. 
This  Epistle  is  often  quoted  by  Eusebius  as  Scripture,  and  as 
belonging  to  Paul. 

S. — Your  authorities,  thus  far,  are  from  the  eastern  church. 
How  was  it  in  the  western  ? 

F. — In  the  western  church  we  have  seen  that  this  Epistle  was 
received  and  quoted  as  Scripture  by  Clement  of  Rome,  before  the 
close  of  the  first  century.     It  is  also  found  in  the  oldest  Latin  ver- 


♦Lib.  vi.  Cap.  14. 
tLib.  vi.  Cap.  25. 
Jin  Students'  Com   Vol.  i.  pp.  109,  110. 


578  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

sions  of  the  New  Testament.  Circumstances  occurred,  however, 
about  the  commencement  of  the  third  century  and  onward,  tending 
to  bring  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  into  disrepute,  and  cause  its 
canonical  authority  to  be  doubted  of  by  some  of  the  Latin  fathers.  It 
was  received,  however,  by  Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan,  and  by  Jerome 
and  Augustine.  And  their  authority  seems  to  have  been  effectual 
in  re-establishing  the  credit  of  the  Epistle  in  the  western  churches. 
We  hear  of  no  more  doubts  respecting  it  subsequent  to  their  time. 

S, — Is  there  not  a  clear  intimation  in  2  Peter  iii.  15,  that  Paul 
wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  ? 

F. — There  certainly  is  ;  and  I  am  glad  to  notice  it.  In  the  early 
division  of  apostolical  labor,  it  was  arranged  that  Paul  should  go  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  Peter  to  the  circumcision  (see  Gal.  ii.  9).  Hence, 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  public  life,  Peter  seems  to  have  con- 
fined his  ministry  chiefly  to  the  Jews.  His  first  Epistle  was 
addressed,  not  to  the  native  inhabitants  of  the  countries  where 
they  dwelt,  but  to  the  "  strangers  scattered  throughout "  those 
countries,  %.  e.,  to  the  dispersed  converted  Hebrews  or  Jews.  And 
the  second  was  addressed  to  the  same  people.  "  This  second  Epis- 
tle, beloved,  I  now  write  unto  you"" — the  same  people  to  whom  the 
first  Epistle  was  addressed.  But  in  his  second  Epistle,  Peter  tells 
these  converted  Hebrews  that  his  beloved  brother  Paul  had  written 
them  a  letter — a  letter  addressed  to  them  particularly,  in  distinction 
from  his  other  Epistles.  "  Even  as  our  beloved  brother  Paul  hath 
written  unto  you,  as  also  in  all  his  Epistles,  speaking  of  these 
things."  It  seems,  then,  that  Paul  had  actually  written  a  letter  to 
the  converted  Hebrews  or  Jews — the  same  people  to  whom  Peter 
was  writing.  But  where  shall  we  look  for  this  Epistle  of  Paul  ? 
Where  shall  we  find  it,  if  it  be  not  our  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  ? 

S. — What  was  Professor  Stuart's  opinion  on  this  question  ? 

F. — After  a  most  thorough  and  exhaustive  examination  of  the 
whole  subject,  he  adds :  "  I  cannot  hesitate  to  believe  that  the 
weight  of  evidence  from  tradition  is  altogether  preponderant  in 
favor  of  the  opinion  that  Paul  was  the  author  of  our  Epistle." 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  679 

S. — Oi"  how  nmch  importance  is  it  to  establish  the  Pauline 
origin  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  is  of  ver}"  great  importance ;  since  otherwise  we  cannot 
vindicate  its  canonical  authority.  The  early  Christians  admitted 
nothing  into  the  canon  but  what  they  knew  was  written  by  an 
Apostle,  or  written  under  his  immediate  direction.  "  This,"  says 
Professor  Stuart,  "  is  an  articulus  stantis  vel  cadentis  auetoritatis  in 
respect  to  the  New  Testament  canon."  To  be  sure,  Mark  and 
Luke  were  not  Apostles,  but  then  we  have  it  from  the  Christian 
fathers  that  the  gospel  of  Mark  was  written  under  the  direction 
of  Peter,  and  the  writings  of  Luke  under  the  oversight  of  Paul. 
Eusebius  says :  "  All  things  in  ]\Iark  are  but  memoirs  of  Peter's 
discourses ;  "  and  Irenceus  testifies  that  "  Luke,  the  companion  of 
Paul,  put  down  in  a  book,  the  gospel  preached  by  him."  The 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  could  never  have  been  received  into  the 
canon,  at  the  close  of  the  first  century,  or  for  the  next  hundred 
years,  unless  it  were  known  to  have  been  the  work  of  an  Apostle. 
But  if  it  was  the  work  of  an  Apostle,  can  its  author  have  been  any 
other  than  the  Apostle  Paul? 

S. — If  Paul  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  Avhen  and  where 
did  he  write  it  ? 

F. — It  was  written  in  Italy,  and  probably  at  Rome :  "  They  of 
Italy  salute  you."  I  have  before  shown  that  it  must  have  been 
written  pretty  far  down  in  the  Apostolic  age, — probably  near  the 
close  of  Paul's  first  imprisonment, — near  the  time  of  the  writing  of 
the  Epistle  to  the  Philippians.  The  writer  speaks  of  himself  as 
not  yet  at  liberty,  but  hopes  to  be  shortly  (Chap.  xiii.  19,  23). 

S. — In  what  language  was  this  Epistle  written  ? 

F. — In  the  Greek,  undoubtedly.  The  Greek  language  was  now 
commonly  spoken  among  the  Jews  in  Palestine.  If  there  ever  was 
a  Hebrew  original,  none  of  the  fathers  CA^er  saw  it  or  speak  of  it. 

*S'. — What  was  the  obvious  design  of  the  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  was  to  strengthen  the  faith  of  the  Hebrew  Christians,  and 
keep  them  from  relapsing  into  Judaism  or  infidelity.     The  Apostle 


580  COXVERSATIOXS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

begins  by  showing  that  the  author  of  the  Christian  rehgion  was 
superior  in  rank  to  the  old  prophets,  and  even  to  the  angels.  He 
was  over  all  things,  and  all  things  were  subject  unto  him.  Hence 
there  were  special  reasons  why  we  should  listen  to  him  and  obey  his 
commands. 

Having  shown  that  the  great  Founder  of  the  Christian  faith  was 
superior  to  the  prophets,  to  Moses,  and  to  the  angels,  the  writer 
proceeds  to  say  that  this  religion  has  a  high  priest  who  is  vastly 
higher  than  that  of  the  Jews,  of  whom  the  Jewish  high  priest 
was  but  an  emblem,  a  type.  He  shows  that  all  the  rites  of  the 
ancient  religion,  splendid  as  they  were,  were  also  but  types,  and 
were  to  vanish  away.  He  further  shows  that  the  Christian's  high 
priest  had  an  origin  more  ancient  and  venerable  than  that  of  the 
Jews  ;  for  he  went  back  to  Melchizedek,  who  lived  long  before  the 
birth  of  Aaron.  The  Jew's  high  priest  entered  once  a  year  into  the 
holy  places  made  with  hands ;  but  the  great  High  Priest  of  the 
Christian  profession  had  gone  into  the  Holy  Place  above,  where  he 
ever  lived  to  make  intercession  for  his  people. 

By  considerations  such  as  these,  the  Apostle  endeavors  to  pre- 
serve his  Jewish  brethren  from  falling  away.  Why  should  they  go 
back  from  the  substance  to  the  shadow  ?  Why  linger  around  the 
earthly  tabernacle,  and  contemplate  the  high  priest  there,  when  they 
had  such  a  perfect  and  glorious  high  priest,  who  had  gone  to  be 
their  Advocate  in  heaven?  The  Apostle  proceeds  to  urge  upon  his 
Jewish  brethren,  that  if  they  rejected  the  sacrifice  of  the  Son  of 
God,  there  was  no  hope  for  them.  There  remained  no  other  sacri- 
fice for  sin.  The  Jewish  rites  were  soon  to  pass  away ;  and  even 
if  they  did  not,  they  could  not  cleanse  the  soul  from  sin.  They 
must  therefore  hold  fast  their  profession.  They  might  be  persecu- 
ted and  opposed,  yet  they  must  cling  to  their  hope  ;  for  this  was 
their  last  hope,  it  was  their  all. 

S. — Is  not  tliis  Epistle  to  be  regarded  as  a  most  important  part  of 
the  sacred  word  ? 

jr-. — Most  certainly  it  is.     Without  this  Epistle  the  Book  of  God 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  681 

would  be  incomplete  and  imperfect.  We  have  enjoined  in  the  Old 
Testament  a  great  variety  of  religious  rites  and  institutions — the 
ark  of  the  covenant,  the  tabernacle,  the  altar,  the  sacrifices,  the 
festivals,  the  priesthood ;  and  without  an  interpreter,  they  would 
be  regarded  as  little  more  than  mere  forms.  In  fact,  by  the  great 
body  of  the  Jews,  they  were  so  regarded  at  the  coming  of  Christ. 
The  world  needs  an  interpreter  of  these  institutions  ;  and  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  we  have  such  an  interpreter.  We  know 
the  import  now  of  these  venerable  institutions.  The  tabernacle 
the  temple,  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  the  smoking  altars  and  incense, 
the  morning  and  evening  sacrifice,  the  services  of  the  great  day  of 
atonement,  all  are  shown  to  be  full  of  glorious  meaning ;  and  the 
ritual  of  the  Old  Testament,  which  otherwise  would  have  had  no 
significance,  is  exhibited  as  the  richest  portion  of  it — the  very 
gospel  of  God's  ancient  church.  Let  us  be  thankful,  then,  for  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and  that  it  comes  to  us  with  so  convincing 
evidence,  as  being  of  Pauline,  apostolical  origin  and  authority — 
a  most  important  part  of  the  Book  of  God. 

36 


CONVERSATION"  XVII. 

EPISTLE  TO  TITUS.— One  of  Paul's  evangelists.— His  field  of  labor.— Introduction  of 
the  Gospel  into  Crete. — The  commission  of  Titus  to  appoint  elders. — Second  Epistle  to 
Timothy. — The  last  of  Paul's  Epistles. — Expectation  of  death. — In  prison. — Beautiful 
sentiments. 

XIII.      THE   EPISTLE   TO   TITUS. 

So7i. — What  can  you  tell  us  about  Titus  ? 

Father. — He  was  one  of  Paul's  evangelists,  who  was  with  him  in 
his  missionary  labors,  and  executed  his  commands.  He  was  a 
Greek  by  birth,  had  not  been  circumcised,  and  would  not  consent 
to  be  (Gal.  ii.  3).  He  was  converted  under  the  ministry  of  Paul, 
who  calls  him  "his  own  son  in  the  faith." 

,S'. — Where  do  we  first  hear  of  him  in  connection  with  Paul  ? 

F. — He  went  with  Paul  and  Barnabas  from  Antioch  to  Jerusa- 
lem, on  the  question  of  circumcising  the  Gentile  converts  (Gal.  ii. 
1).  Perhaps  Paul  took  him  as  a  fair  specimen  of  a  Gentile  convert 
who  had  not  been  circumcised. 

S. — Where  do  we  next  hear  of  Titus  as  laboring  under  Paul's 
direction  ? 

F. — He  probably  returned  with  Paul  from  Jerusalem  to  Antioch. 
and  may  have  been  with  him  generally  on  his  second  mission.  He 
certainly  was  with  Paul  during  his  long  stay  at  Ephesus,  and  was 
the  bearer  of  his  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians.  Paul  anxiously 
waited  his  return,  and  was  overjoyed  on  meeting  him  in  Macedonia, 
and  hearing  from  him  the  good  results  of  the  Epistle.  We  hear 
nothing  of  Titus  after  this,  until  Ave  meet  him  in  Crete,  in  the 
Epistle  before  us. 

S. — Where  is  Crete? 

F. — It  is  a  large  island  in  the  Mediterranean,  lying  at  some  dis- 
tance south  of  the  Grecian  islands.  The  character  of  the  Cretans, 
in  their  heathen  state,  was  very  bad  (Chap.  i.  12).  At  the  time  of 
the  Apostles,  Crete  was  a  Roman  province. 

S. — When  was  the  gospel  introduced  into  Crete  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  583 

F. — We  eaniiot  tell.  Among  the  persons  who  were  ut  Jernsaleni 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  are  mentioned  Cretans.  If  any  of  these 
were  converted,  they  may  have  carried  home  with  them  some 
knowledge  of  the  gospel.  We  have  no  acconnt  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment of  the  visit  of  any  Apostle  to  Crete,  except  that  Panl  merely 
touched  there  on  his  voyage  to  Rome  (see  Acts  xxvii.  G,  7).  The 
probability  therefore  is,  that  Paul  visited  the  island,  in  company 
with  Titus,  after  his  release  from  his  first  imprisonment,  about 
the  year  63.  He  preached  the  gospel  extensively,  and  founded 
churches ;  but  being  called  to  depart  sooner  than  he  expected,  he 
left  Titus  behind  him  to  "  set  in  order  the  things  that  were  want- 
ing, and  ordain  elders  in  every  cit3^"' 

*S'. — Such  then  was  the  occasion  of  this  Epistle.  Can  you  tell  us 
where  it  was  written  ? 

F. — Not  certainly.  Perhaps  at  Nicopolis ;  since  Paul  directs 
Titus  to  meet  him  there  (Chap.  iii.  12).  But  this  does  not  much 
help  the  matter ;  since  there  were  several  cities  in  and  around 
Greece  bearing  the  name  of  Nicopolis.  It  may  have  been  Nicopolis 
in  Macedonia,  or  it  may  have  been  Nicopolis  in  Epirus. 

*S'. — What,  in  general,  are  the  contents  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — These  are  indicated  in  the  duties  which  Paul  was  left  in 
Crete  to  discharge :  He  was  to  "  ordain  elders  in  every  city." 
Consequently,  some  space  is  occupied  in  describing  the  qualifica- 
tions of  the  persons  to  be  ordained  (Chap.  i.  6-9).  Paul  cautions 
Titus  to  be  on  his  guard  against  "  unruly  talkers,"  and  Judaizing 
teachers ;  for  those  disturbers  of  the  peace  had  already  found  their 
wa}"  into  Crete.  He  directs  Titus  as  to  the  instruction  he  was  to 
impart  to  different  classes  of  persons — to  the  aged  and  the  young, 
to  masters  and  servants.  He  directs  him  as  to  his  own  deportment 
and  doctrine  ;  and  the  discipline  of  the  churches.  In  short,  as  Dr. 
Paley  remarks  in  his  Horace  Paulinee,  "  Here  is  a  striking  resem- 
blance between  the  circumstances  which  induced  Paul  to  leave 
Titus  in  Crete,  and  those  which  existed  at  Ephesus,  when  he  left 
Timothy    there  (see    1  Tim.   i.  3,    4).     We  know  that  Paul  was 


584  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

driven  away  from  Epliesus  before  he  had  finished  his  work  there  ; 
and  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  some  such  disturbance  might 
have  hastened  his  departure  from  Crete. 

S. — Is  there  any  reason  to  think  that  Titus  was  constituted 
bishop  of  Crete  ? 

F. — There  is  not,  but  much  reason  to  the  contrary.  When  Titus 
had  set  in  order  what  remained  to  be  done  in  Crete,  he  was  to  meet 
the  Apostle  at  Nicopolis.  At  a  later  period,  we  hear  of  him  as 
having  gone  to  Dalmatia  (2  Tim.  iv.  10). 

XIV.      SECOND   EPISTLE   TO   TIMOTHY. 

S. — Is  this  the  last  of  Paul's  Epistles  ? 

F. — It  is  the  last  of  which  we  have  any  knowledge.  It  was  evi- 
dently written  from  Rome  while  Paul  was  a  prisoner  there.  Some 
think  that  it  was  written  during  his  first  imprisonment ;  or,  as  they 
would  say,  during  his  only  imprisonment.  But  I  cannot  be  of  this 
opinion.  Paul's  circumstances,  when  he  wrote  this  Epistle,  were 
very  different  from  what  they  were  during  his  first  imprisonment. 
Then  he  was  what  may  be  called  a  prisoner  at  large.  "  He  dwelt 
in  his  own  hired  house,  and  received  all  who  came  unto  him."  But 
now  he  was  in  close  confinement — so  close  that  his  friends  could 
scarcely  find  him  (Chap.  i.  17).  During  his-  first  imprisonment, 
especially  in  the  latter  part  of  it,  Paul  expected  a  speedy  release. 
"  Prepare  me  a  lodging ;  for  I  trust  that,  through  your  prayers,  I 
shall  be  given  unto  you  "  (Phil.  v.  22).  But  when  he  wrote  the 
Epistle  before  us,  he  had  no  such  expectations.  So  far  from  this, 
he  expected  a  speedy  death.'  "I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,  and 
the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand  "  (Chap.  iv.  6). 

S. — Is  there  not  an  intimation  in  this  Epistle,  that  Paul  had  been 
previously  imprisoned,  and  had  been  delivered  ? 

F. — So  I  understand  it :  "  At  my  first  answer,  no  man  stood  with 
me,  but  all  men  forsook  me.  Notwithstanding  the  Lord  stood  with 
me,  and  strengthened  me  ;  and  I  was  delivered  out  of  the  mouth  of 
the  lion."     And  why  delivered?    "  That  by  me  the  preaching  might 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  TIII^  BIBLE.  685 


be  fully  known,  and  that  all  the  Gentiles  might  hear."  In  other 
words,  "that  I miglit  a<jain preach  Christ  to  the  Gentiles."  Accord- 
ingly, several  of  the  early  fathers  testify,  that  Paul  was  released 
from  his  first  imprisonment ;  that  he  visited  several  of  the  churches 
which  he  had  before  planted  ;  that  he  preached  more  widely  amono- 
the  Gentiles  than  he  had  ever  done  ;  that  he  was  finally  brought  to 
Rome  during  the  persecution  under  Nero,  imprisoned  a  second  time, 
and  put  to  death.  It  was  during  this  last  imprisonment,  that  the 
Epistle  before  us  was  written, — about  the  year  65. 

*S'. — Where  was  Timothy  at  this  time  ? 

F. — Probably  at  Ephesus.  For  he  was  directed  to  salute  the 
household  of  good  Onesiphorus,  who  we  know  was  an  Ephesian  (see 
Chap.  i.  18,  iv.  19).  He  was  also  warned  to  beware  of  "  Alexander 
the  coi^persmith  " — another  Ephesian  (see  Chap.  iv.  15,  1  Tim.  i. 
20).  Timothy  had  been  with  Paul  at  Rome, — not  literally  impris- 
oned, perhaps,  but  confined,  as  it  were,  by  the  necessities  of  Paul's 
situation ;  but  the  Apostle  had  released  him,  and  sent  him  to 
Ephesus.*  He  now  recalls  him,  and  sends  Tj'chicus  to  take  his 
place  (Chap.  iv.  12). 

*S'. — Can  anything  be  learned  from  the  Scriptures  as  to  Paul's 
missionary  labors  and  travels,  after  the  close  of  his  first  imj)rison- 
ment  ? 

F. — I  think  there  may.  He  undoubtedly  visited  many  of  the 
churches  in  Asia  Minor  and  in  Greece,  which  he  had  formerly 
planted.  He  had  been  at  Corinth  ;  for  Erastus  chose  to  remain  there. 
He  had  been  at  Miletus  ;  for  there  he  left  Troi)himus  sick  (Chap.  iv. 
20).  He  had  been  at  Troas  ;  for  there  he  left  his  cloak  and  his 
parchments.  He  had  also  been  at  Crete ;  for  there  he  had  con- 
ducted a  successful  mission,  and  had  left  Titus  to  complete  what  he 
was  obliged  to  leave  unfinished.  Whether  he  accomplished  his  pro- 
jected journey  into  Spain,  the  Scriptures  do  not  inform  us.  We 
infer  from  a  passage  in  Clement  that  he  did ;  for  he  says  that  Paul 
traveled  "to  the  utmost  boundaries  of   the  West."     We  may  be 

*This  I  take  to  be  the  meauinjr  of  Ileb.  xiil.  23. 


586  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

sure  that  he  was  busy,  so  long  as  he  had  his  liberty.  And  his  ene- 
mies were  busy  also  ;  for  they  seized  him  and  brought  him  to  Rome 
during  the  terrible  persecution  under  Nero,  and  there  he  was,  a 
close  prisoner,  when  this  Epistle  was  written. 

S. — As  to  the  occasion  of  the  Epistle  we  need  not  further 
inquire ;  but  you  will  please  give  us  your  opinion  as  to  the  interest 
and  importance  of  it. 

F. — From  what  has  been  said,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Epistle 
must  be  one  of  ver}^  great  interest.  Who  would  not  wish  to  hear 
the  last  words  of  such  a  man  as  the  Apostle  Paul — what  he  said, 
wrote,  and  did  in  the  last  days  of  his  life — when  in  the  near  and 
certain  prospect  of  death?  Who  would  not  wish  to  read  Avhat 
he  wrote  to  a  favorite  young  minister,  his  dearest  personal  friend, 
under  these  trying  and  awful  circumstances  ?  Here  are  no  shrink- 
ings,  no  misgivings,  no  regrets  at  the  sacrifices  he  had  made,  the 
labors  he  had  performed,  and  the  sufferings  he  had  endured  in  the 
service  of  Christ,  but  all  is  confidence,  earnestness,  victor}^,  and 
praise.  "  My  outward  man  may  perish,  but  my  inner  man  is  full  of 
life.  My  enemies  may  kill  this  poor  body  ;  but  my  Eedeemer  lives, 
and  his  cause  shall  live  and  triumph  in  the  earth.  I  go  from  the 
scaffold  to  a  throne  and  a  crown — from  the  executioner's  block  to 
a  kingdom  in  the  heavens — to  a  seat  at  the  right  hand  of  my 
Redeemer  and  Judge."  Yes,  "I  am  now  ready  to  be  offered,  and 
the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I 
have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there 
is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness  which  the  Lord,  the 
righteous  Judge,  shall  give  me  at  that  day  ;  and  not  to  me  only,  but 
unto  all  them  that  love  his  appearing." 

Watts's  versification  of  this  dying  declaration  of  the  great  Apostle 
is  so  sublime  and  beautiful  that  I  cannot  help  repeating  it. 

"  Death  may  dissolve  my  body  now, 
And  bear  my  spirit  home  ; 
Why  do  my  minutes  move  so  slow, 
Nor  my  salvation  come  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  587 

With  heavenly  weapons  I  liave  fou;,'lit 

The  battles  of  the  Lord, 

Fiiiisiied  my  course,  aud  kept  the  faith, 

And  wait  tiie  sure  reward. 

God  has  laid  up  in  heaven  for  nie 

A  crown  which  cannot  fade  ; 

The  righteous  Judge,  at  tliat  great  day, 

Shall  place  it  on  my  head. 

God  is  my  everlasting  aid, 

vVuiI  liell  sliall  rage  in  vain  ; 

To  him  be  highest  glory  paid, 

Aud  endless  prai.se,  Ameu  " 


CONVERSATION  XVIII. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  JAMES.— Authorship  of  this  Epistle.— Unbelief  of  the  Lord's 
brothers  and  kin  in  his  Messiahship.— James  the  bishop  of  Jerusalem. — The  scattered 
Tribes. — Who  they  were. — A  question. — Are  the  Ten  tribes  still  in  existence  as  a  dis- 
tinct people. — Epistle  to  Jude. — Character  of  this  letter. 

I.      THE   EPISTLE   OF   JAMES. 

Son. — Who  was  tlie  author  of  this  Epistle  ? 

Father. — Some  have  thought  that  it  was  James,  the  son  of 
Zebedee  and  brother  of  John ;  but  this  cannot  be  true,  since  James, 
the  brother  of  John,  was  put  to  death  by  Herod,  long  before  this 
Epistle  was  written  (see  Acts  xii.  2).  Others  have  thought  that  it 
was  written,  not  by  the  other  Apostle  James,  but  by  still  another 
James,  the  literal  brother  of  our  Lord,  who  was  early  made  bishop 
of  Jerusalem.  But  I  cannot  be  of  this  opinion.  It  is  said  of 
Christ's  literal  brothers,  at  a  late  period  in  his  public  ministry,  that 
they  did  not  believe  on  him  (John  vii.  5).  They  may  have  become 
believers  about  the  time  of  his  ascension ;  but  the  fact  that  Jesus 
did  not  commit  liis  mother  to  them,  but  to  John,  shows  that,  at  that 
time,  they  and  their  mother  were  not  in  full  sympathy  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion.  Besides,  the  manner  in  which  the  James  who 
dwelt  at  Jerusalem  is  spoken  of  in  the  Acts,  and  in  the  Epistles  of 
Paul,  shows  that  he  must  have  been  an  Apostle.  It  was  he  who 
presided  in  the  great  church  meeting  at  Jerusalem,  and  pro- 
nounced the  decifc-ion  on  the  question  of  circumcising  the  Gentile 
converts  (Acts  xv.  19).  Then,  when  Paul  went  up  to  Jerusalem 
to  see  Peter,  he  says :  "  Other  of  the  Apostles  saw  I  none,  save 
James,  the  Lord's  brother''  (Gal.  i.  19).  This  proves  that  the  James 
whom  he  saw  was  an  Apostle.  At  his  next  visit  to  Jerusalem,  Paul 
saw  there  "James,  Cephas,  and  John,  who  seemed  to  he  pillars,''' — 
proof  again  that  James  was  not  only  an  Apostle,  but  a  distin- 
guished Apostle,  as  much  so  as  Peter  or  John  (Gal.  ii.  9).  I  con- 
clude, therefore,  that  the   James  who  resided  at  Jerusalem,   and 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  580 


wrote  the  Epistle,  was  no  other  than  the  Apostle  James.  IK-  was 
not  a  literal  brother  of  our  Lord,  but  a  cousin,  and  on  this  account 
is  sometimes  called  the  Lord's  brother.  Several  instances  occur  in 
the  Scriptures  of  this  use  of  the  term  brother  among  the  Jews.  Of 
the  life  of  the  Apostle  James  we  have  spoken  in  a  previous  con- 
versation. 

S. — This  James  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  bishop  of  Jerusalem  : 
Was  he  a  bishop,  as  well  as  an  Apostle  ? 

F. — I  think  not.  Not  only  are  the  two  offices  not  the  same,  they 
are  incompatible  with  each  other.  An  Apostle  is  a  missionarv — a 
minister  at  large — one  who  has,  what  Paul  tells  us  he  had,  '^  the 
care  of  all  the  churches."  A  bishop  has,  or  should  have,  a  pastoral 
charge.  He  is  the  overseer  of  a  particular  flock.  His  attentions 
are  confined  to  some  particular  field  of  labor.  That  James  was  an 
Apostle,  we  certainly  know  ;  but  that  he  was  ever,  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  term,  a  bishop,  the  Scriptures  nowhere  intimate.  This 
was  the  fiction  of  a  later  age.  That,  with  the  consent  of  his  brother 
Apostles,  James  for  the  most  part  resided  at  Jerusalem,  and  that, — 
in  connection  with  a  corps  of  elders, — he  had  some  care  of  the  great 
mother  church  there  established,  is  indubitable ;  but  his  care  also 
extended  to  other  churches.  This  is  evident  from  the  interest 
which  he  took  in  the  question  of  circumcising  the  Gentile  converts. 
It  is  evident  also  from  the  inscription  to  the  Epistle  before  us : 
"  James,  a  servant  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  the 
twelve  tribes  scattered  abroad, — implying  that  his  watch  was  over 
them  all. 

*S'. — Who  were  "  the  twelve  tribes  "  to  whom  this  Epistle  was 
addressed  ? 

F. — They  were  Jews  and  Israelites,  who,  in  the  course  of  ages, 
had  come  to  be  mixed  together,  were  "  scattered  abroad  "  through- 
out the  Roman  empire,  and  went  under  the  general  name  of  Jews. 

*S'. — But  are  not  the  ten  tribes  still  in  existence  somewhere,  as  a 
separate  people? 

F. — I  think  not.     ]\Ianv   of  the  original    ten  tribes,    who  were 


590  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

carried  captive,  apostatized  to  the  heathen  among  whom  they 
dwelt.  Other  many  got  back  to  their  own  Land,  and  settled  there, 
and  fell  under  the  general  appellation  of  Jews.  Much  search  has 
been  made  for  the  lost  ten  tribes  ;  but  they  have  not  been  found, 
and  never  will  be,  a  separate  i)eople,  anywhere. 

aS'. — Were  all  those  whom  James  addresses  in  this  Epistle  con- 
verted^ Christian  Jews  ? 

F. — The  most  of  it  was  intended  for  believing  Jews ;  but  some 
parts  of  it  are  addressed  to  those  who  did  not  believe.  "  From 
whence  come  wars  and  fightings  among  you  ?  Come  they  not 
hence  even  of  your  lusts  ?  "  This,  and  the  following  verses  of  the 
fourth  chapter,  we  cannot  regard  as  applicable  to  Christian  Jews 
of  the  Apostolic  age,  but  are  specially  applicable  to  those  murder- 
ous zealots  with  which  the  holy  city  was  at  that  time  infested. 

S. — Has  the  Epistle  of  James  been  generally  regarded  as  canon- 
ical ? 

F. — Its  canonical  authority  was  disputed  by  some  in  the  ancient 
church,  but  by  most  of  the  fathers  it  was  received.  It  is  found 
in  Peschito,  the  oldest  version  extant,  and  was  accepted  by  the 
churches  in  Syria.  Having  passed  the  ordeal  of  ancient  criticism, 
the  Epistle  was  universally  received  as  early  as  the  fourth  century. 
It  is  well  known  that  Luther,  in  the  early  stages  of  the  reforma- 
tion, rejected  the  Epistle  of  James,  calling  it  "  an  Epistle  of  straw." 
This  he  did,  because  he  supposed  it  conflicted  with  his  favorite 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith.  At  a  later  period,  he  changed  his 
opinion,  and  received  the  Epistle  as  canonical  Scripture. 

S. — When  and  where  was  this  Epistle  written  ? 

F, — It  was  written,  undoubtedly,  at  Jerusalem,  and  not  long 
before  the  Apostle's  death, — about  the  year  62  or  63.  It  has  been 
thought,  by  some,  that  the  scorching  reproofs  of  James  excited  the 
Jews  to  put  him  to  death. 

S. — What  seems  to  have  been  the  general  design  and  object  of 
the  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  was  to  refute  the  errors  and  correct  the  vices  at  that  time 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BTBLE.  501 

prevalent  among  the  Jews, — to  some  extent  among  the  believing 
Jews.  Among  the  errors  which  had  made  their  appearance  were 
those  of  an  Antinomian  character — a  being  saved  by  faith  without 
the  deeds  of  the  law.  In  refuting  these,  James  has  been  thouglit  hy 
some  to  contradict  directly  the  Apostle  Paul.  But  it  will  be  seen,  on 
examination,  that  the  contradiction  is  only  apparent.  Paul  insists 
that  sinners  "  are  justified  by  faith,  without  the  deeds  of  the  law ; " 
while  James  asserts  that  they  "  are  justified  by  works,  and  not  l>y 
faith  only  "  (Rom.  ii.  28,  James  ii.  24).  Paul  is  reasoning  here 
against  the  Judaizing  teachers,  who  substituted  works,  moral  and 
ceremonial,  in  place  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  as  a  ground  of  justifica- 
tion. But  James  was  reasoning  against  Antinomians,  who  insisted 
that,  where  there  was  faith,  good  works  were  unnecessary.  This 
led  him  to  say  that  such  a  faith  was  dead  and  Avorthless,  and  could 
not  be  accepted  as  the  condition  of  salvation.  Against  a  faith 
such  as  this,  Paul  would  have  insisted  as  strenuousl}'  as  James; 
while  against  works,  in  the  sense  that  Paul  abjured  them,  James 
would  have  insisted  as  strenuously  as  Paul.  It  is  only  necessary 
to  understand  the  two  Apostles, — to  consider  the  circumstances  un- 
der which  they  wrote,  and  the  different  errors  at  wliich  they  aimed, 
in  order  to  see  that  there  is  no  real  discrepancy  between  them. 

*S'. — What  is  there  peculiar  in  the  st3de  of  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — In  some  places,  it  is  pointed,  vehement ;  in  others  it  is  mild 
and  gentle.  In  rebuking  the  vices  of  the  Jewish  people, — more 
especiall}^  as  I  hope,  the  unbelieving  Jews, — the  Apostle  uses 
words  that  burn.  "  Go  to  now,  ye  rich  men,  weep  and  howl  for 
your  miseries  that  shall  come  upon  you.  Your  riches  are  cor- 
rupted, and  your  garments  are  moth-eaten.  Your  gold  and  silver 
is  cankered,  and  the  rust  of  them  shall  be  a  witness  against  you, 
and  shall  eat  your  flesh  as  it  were  fire.  Behold  the  hire  of  your 
laborers  which  have  reaped  your  fields,  which  is  of  you  kept  back, 
crieth,  and  the  cry  hath  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of  Sab- 
aoth.  Ye  have  lived  in  pleasure  on  the  earth  and  been  wanton  ; 
ye  have  nourished  your  hearts  as  in  a  day  of  slaughter.     Ye  have 


592  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


condemned    and   killed   the    just,    and   he   doth   not  resist   you" 
(Chap.  V.  1-6). 

In  conclusion,  the  writer  exhorts  his  humble,  faithful  Christian 
brethren  to  Avait  patiently  upon  God :  "  Be  patient  therefore, 
brethren,  unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Behold  the  husbandman 
waiteth  for  the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and  hath  long  patience 
for  it,  until  he  receive  the  early  and  the  latter  rain.  Be  ye  also 
patient,  establish  your  hearts,  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth 
nigh"  (Chap.  V.  7,  8). 

II.    THE  EPISTLE   OF  JUDE. 

]F. — In  the  first  verse  of  this  short  Epistle,  the  writer  tells  us 
who  he  is,  and  to  whom  he  is  writing  :  "  Jude,  the  servant  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  brother  of  James,  to  them  that  are  sanctified  by  God 
the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  called."  This  must 
be  Jude  the  Apostle  ;  and,  as  he  and  James  were  brothers,  I  have 
concluded  to  connect  their  Epistles  in  the  same  conversation. 

S. — Is  it  likely  that  Jude  wrote  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — I  think  it  is.  Its  authenticity  Avas  called  in  question  for  a 
time,  until  the  churches  could  become  satisfied  that  Jude  was  its 
real  author.     Since  that  period,  it  has  been  universally  received. 

S. — Does  it  not  contain  some  questionable  quotations'? 

F. — Perhaps  so.  In  exposing  and  denouncing  seductive  teach- 
ers, Jude  quotes  from  an  unknown  Jewish  prophet — the  same  that 
Peter  quotes  from  in  his  second  Epistle.  He  also  quotes  from 
Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  who  was  translated  that  he  should 
not  see  death.  How  he  came  by  this  last  quotation,  Ave  are  not 
informed.  It  may  have  been  a  tradition  among  the  Jews.  Or  it 
may  have  been  taken  from  the  apocryphal  book  of  Enoch.  In 
either  case,  its  being  adopted  by  an  inspired  Apostle  is  a  sufficient 
sanction  for  its  truth.  Let  us  be  thankful  that  we  have  so  noble  a 
fragment  from  the  venerable  antediluvian  patriarch. 

S. — Do  we  know  when  and  where  the  Epistle  of  Jude  was 
written  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  593 


F. — As  to  the  place  where  it  originated  we  know  nothing.     It 

bears  marks  of  having  been  written  kite  in  the  Apostolic  age later, 

I  apprehend,  than  the  second  Epistle  of  Peter,  which  it  so  much 
resembles. 

^' — ^Vas  it  written  to  any  particular  church  or  people  ? 

F.—\t  was  not.  It  is  called  the  "  General  Epistle  of  Jnde  ;  "' 
and  it  is  so.  It  was  intended  for  all  Christians — all  those  "  who 
are  sanctified  by  God  the  Father,  and  preserved  in  Jesus  CIn-ist, 
and  called." 

S. — And  Avhat  may  be  regarded  as  the  design  or  occasion  of  it  ? 

F. — This  is  obvious  from  the  Epistle  itself.  Like  some  other  of 
the  Epistles,  it  was  intended  as  a  warning  against  false  teachers. 
The  writer  commences  by  saying,  "  When  I  gave  all  diligence  to 
write  unto  you  of  the  common  salvation,  it  was  needful  for  me  to 
write  unto  you,  and  exhort  you,  that  ye  should  earnestly  contend 
for  the  faith  which  was  once  delivered  to  the  saints.  For  there  are 
certain  men  crept  in  unawares,  who  were  before,  of  old,  ordained 
to  this  condemnation — ungodly  men,  turning  the  grace  of  God  into 
lasciviousness,  and  denying  the  only  Lord  God,  and  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."'  Jude  warns  his  brethren  of  the  destruction  which  would 
follow  an  apostasy,  by  telling  them  of  the  fate  of  the  unbelieving 
Israelites  who  came  out  of  Egypt,  but  fell  in  the  wilderness ;  of  the 
ruin  of  the  Apostate  angels  ;  and  of  the  destruction  of  the  Sod- 
omites. He  cites  the  fate  of  the  Sodomites  as  one  of  exemjjlary 
punishment.  They  are  "  set  forth  as  examples^  suffering  the  ven- 
geance of  eternal  fire."  In  short,  this  Epistle,  though  a  brief  one, 
is  full  of  solemn  warning  and  instruction  ;  and  we  are  thankful  that 
we  have  so  acceptable  an  offering  from  tliis  modest  and  amiable 
Apostle. 


CONVERSATION  XIX. 

THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  PETER.— Tlie  strangers  mentioned  in  this  letter.— Who 
they  were — The  Jewish  school  at  Babylon. — Its  distinguished  character. — The  Babylon 
as  it  was  at  that  time. — Second  Epistle  of  Peter. — Its  design. — Important  doctrine 
disclosed. 

I.    THE   FIRST   EPISTLE   OF   PETER. 

jSon. — Of  tlie  life  and  history  of  the  Apostle  Peter  we  have  heard 
in  a  previous  conversation.  Is  the  Epistle  before  us  unquestion- 
ably his.     Have  there  been  no  doubts  as  to  its  authenticity  ? 

Father. — None  of  any  importance.  The  second  Epistle  of  Peter 
was  doubted  of  by  some  in  the  early  age  of  the  church ;  but  the 
first  never. 

S. — To  whom  was  it  written  ? 

F. — It  is  addressed  "  to  the  strangers  scattered  abroad,  through- 
out Pontus,  Galatia,  Cappadocia,  Asia,  and  Bythinia.  The  word 
strangers  here  denotes. that  the  persons  addressed  were  Jews — dis- 
persed, converted  Jews.  This  is  one  of  the  terms  by  which  the 
scattered  Jews  were  commonly  indicated.  They  were  not  native 
inhabitants  of  the  countries  where  they  resided  ;  but  were  foreign- 
ers, residents,  strangers.  Peter  was  emphatically  the  Apostle  of  the 
circumcision.  It  was  his  assignment  to  labor  chiefly  for  the  Jews, 
as  it  was  Paul's  to  go  to  the  Gentiles.  Accordingl}^,'  through  all 
the  latter  part  of  his  public  ministry,  we  find  Peter  laboring  for  the 
Jews.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  he  should  address  his  Epistle 
to  the  dispersed  Christian  Jews. 

S. — Have  we  indications  in  the  Epistle  itself  that  it  was  addressed 
primarily  to  Jews? 

F. — We  certainly  have.  I  will  cite  but  one  example  :  "  Having 
your  conversation  honest  among  the  Gentiles  ;  that,  whereas  they 
speak  against  you  as  evil  doers,  they  may,  by  your  good  works 
which  they  shall  behold,  glorify  God  in  the  day  of  visitation  " 
(Chap.  ii.  12).  Obviously,  the  persons  here  addressed  were  not 
Gentiles,  but  Jews. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE,  595 

S. — Can  we  decide  positively  when  this  Epistle  Mas  written ? 

F. — We  cannot.  We  know  it  nnist  have  been  written  late  in  the 
Apostolic  age — perhaps  as  late  as  the  year  01.  The  gospel  could 
not  have  been  sufficiently  established  in  the  provinces  mentioned  in 
the  introduction  to  require  such  an  Epistle  at  a  much  earlier  period. 

*S'. — Where  was  Peter  when  he  wrote  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — He  says  near  the  close  of  it :  "  The  church  that  is  at  Babylon, 
elected  together  with  you,  saluteth  you "  (Chap.  v.  13).  The 
writer  must  have  been  at  this  time  at  Babylon, — not  Babj-lon  in 
Egypt,  nor  at  Rome  (which  is  sometimes  mystically  called  Babylon), 
but  at  Babylon  in  Assyria.  The  old  Babylon,  which  Nebuchad- 
nezzar built,  had  indeed  been  destroj'ed ;  but  a  new  Babylon  had 
been  built,  about  forty  miles  north  of  the  old  city,  where,  I  have  no 
doubt,  the  Epistle  was  written.  The  Jews  had  been  numerous,  in 
all  this  section  of  country,  from  the  time  of  the  captivity  until  long 
after  the  coming  of  Christ.  This  new  Babylon  was  the  seat  of  a 
distinguished  school  of  Jewish  learning,  from  which  the  largest 
and  most  elaborate  of  the  Talmuds  was  issued.  This  great  body  of 
his  own  nation  the  Apostle  of  the  circumcision  thought  it  incum- 
bent on  him  to  visit.  He  had  established  a  church  here;  and  from 
this  place  he  sent  his  Epistle,  by  Sylvanus,  one  of  Paul's  evangelists, 
to  "  the  strangers  scattered  abroad.'" 

*S'. — What  may  w^e  suppose  was  the  principal  design  and  object  of 
the  Epistle  ? 

i^.— The  design  obviously  was,  to  encourage  and  strengthen  his 
brethren  to  persevere  in  their  Christian  course,  and  by  an  eminently 
holy,  circumspect  behavior,  to  silence  their  opposers  and  persecu- 
tors, and  win  them  over  to  the  obedience  of  faith.  The  enemies  of 
the  Christians,  in  those  times,  were  accustomed  to  reproach  and 
vilify  them,  and  accuse  them  of  the  foulest  crimes  ;  and  the  Apostle 
exhorts  them,  "by  well-doing,  to  put  to  silence  the  ignorance  of 
foolish  men."  He  exhorts  them  also  to  the  faithful  performance  of 
all  relative  and  social  duties— those  of  husbands  and  wives,  parents 
and  children,  masters  and  servants.     He  urges  the  fiiithful  discharge 


596  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  these  duties,  not  from  mere  worldly  considerations,  but  from  the 
love  of  Christ,  and  their  obligations  to  him,  and  from  the  certainty 
that  they  must,  ere  long,  stand  before  him  in  the  judgment,  and 
give  an  account  of  all  their  deeds. 

S. — Are  there  any  new  disclosures  of  truth  in  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — "VVe  find  truths  here  which  are  not  so  clearly  revealed  else- 
where in  the  Bible  ;  as,  for  example,  that  it  was  the  Spirit  of  Christy 
which  spake  by  the  ancient  prophets,  and  by  Noah  (Chap.  iii.  19)  ; 
that  the  ungodly  men  to  whom  Noah  preached  were  not  annihila- 
ted, but  are  "  spirits  in  prison,"  reserved  unto  the  final  judgment ; 
that  the  waters  of  the  flood,  which  bore  up  Noah  and  his  family, 
were  a  type  of  the  water  of  baptism  ;  that  "  the  devil  goeth  about 
like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour"  (Chap.  v.  8). 

S. — What  is  the  spirit  manifested  in  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  is  eminently  Christian, — very  different  from  that  some- 
times manifested  by  Peter  during  the  personal  ministry  of  Christ. 
We  see  nothing  here  of  that  forward,  positive,  dogmatical  spirit,  so 
often  exhibited  during  the  life  of  Christ ;  but  the  whole  man 
appears  softened,  tender,  gentle,  subdued, — full  proof  that  he  had 
grown  in  knowledge,  as  well  as  in  grace  ;  that  he  had  learned  les- 
sons in  the  school  of  experience,  which  he  failed  to  learn  from  the 
lips  even  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  Epistle  before  us  is  one  of  great 
beauty  and  excellence,  not  only  in  its  design,  but  its  execution. 
Ostervald  says  "it  is  one  of  the  finest  books  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment ;  "  and  Erasmus,  a  Roman  Catholic,  says,  "  It  is  worthy  of  the 
Prince  of  the  Apostles,  and  full  of  apostolical  dignity  and  author- 
ity." 

II.      THE    SECOND   EPISTLE   OF   PETER. 

S. — You  have  said  that  the  authenticity  of  this  Epistle  was  called 
in  question  by  some  in  the  ancient  church.  Were  the  doubts  then 
entertained  well  founded  ? 

F. — These  doubts  prove  nothing,  unless  it  be  the  extreme  cau- 
tion with  which  the  early  fathers  accepted  any  writing,  as  coming 
from  the  Apostles.     As  soon  as  they  became  satisfied  that  Peter 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  •       697 


wrote  this  Epistle  (iind  that  was  at  a  very  early  i)eii(j(l;  it  was 
thankfully  received  as  a  part  of  the  book  of  God. 

The  Papistic  atBrms,  in  the  most  positive  manner,  tluit  Peter  wrote 
it.  "  Simon  Peter,  a  servant  and  an  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to 
them  which  have  obtained  like  precious  faith  with  us,"'  etc.  Is  this 
declaration  true?  Or  is  this  holy  Epistle  the  production  u[  a  down- 
right forger  and  liar  ?  Besides,  this  Epistle  contains  passages  which 
could  have  been  written  by  no  one  except  Peter.  '-  This  second 
Epistle,  beloved,  I  now  write  unto  you,  in  both  which  I  stir  up  your 
pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance  "  (Chap.  iii.  1).  '^  I  think  it 
meet,  so  long  as  I  am  in  this  tabernacle,  to  stir  you  u^t  by  i)Utting 
you  in  remembrance  ;  knowing  that  shortly  I  must  put  off  this  my 
tabernacle,  even  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  showed  me.  For 
■\ve  have  not  followed  cunningly  devised  fables,  when  we  made 
known  unto  you  the  power  and  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  but  were  eye-witnesses  of  his  majesty.  For  he  received 
from  God  the  Father  honor  and  glor}-,  when  there  came  such  a 
voice  to  him  from  the  most  excellent  glory :  This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  w^ell  pleased.  And  this  voice  wdiich  came  from 
heaven  we  heard.,  when  we  were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount" 
(Chap.  i.  13-18).  Who  that  had  not  seen  and  walked  and  con- 
versed with  Christ,  and  witnessed  his  transfiguration,  could  have 
given  utterance  to  language  such  as  this  ? 

S. — What  ^vas  the  principal  objection  to  the  authenticity  of  this 
Epistle  ? 

F. — A  supposed  difference  of  style.  But  this  can  apply  to  only 
a  portion  of  the  second  chapter,  in  which, — describing  certain  false 
teachers  and  denouncing  their  doom, — the  Apostle  seems  to  quote 
the  language  of  some  Jewish  prophet,  to  us  unknown :  "Spots  they 
are  and  blemishes,  sporting  themselves  Avith  their  own  deceivings 
while  they  feast  with  you  ;  having  eyes  full  of  adultery  that  cannot 
cease  from  sin,  beguiling  unstable  souls"  (Chap.  iii.  13,  14).  The 
Apostle  Jude  refers,  as  we  have  seen,  to  the  same  unknown  writer, 
though  in  somewhat  different  terms. 


37 


598        •  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


S. — Do  such  quotations  by  an  inspired  writer  become  thereby 
authoritative  inspiration  ? 

^. — I  think  so.  The  Holy  Spirit  would  not  lead  an  Apostle  to 
make  such  a  quotation,  if  he  did  not  mean  to  sanction  it  as  the 
word  of  God. 

S. — Do  Ave  know  when  this  Epistle  was  written  ? 

ji\ — Not  certainly.  It  must  have  been  written  after  the  Epistles 
of  Paul,  for  the  writer  refers  to  them  (Chap.  iii.  15,  16).  It  was 
written,  too,  near  the  close  of  the  Apostle's  life,  when  he  was 
expecting,  in  a  short  time,  to  be  removed  :  "  Knowing  that  shortly 
I  must  put  off  this  my  tabernacle,  even  as  the  Lord  hath  showed 
me." 

S. — Where  was  the  Apostle  when  he  wrote  this  Epistle  ? 

F. — We  do  not  know.  He  may  have  been  at  Rome,  awaiting 
his  martyrdom. 

S. — To  whom  is  the  Epistle  addressed  ? 

F. — To  the  same  class  of  persons  as  his  former  Epistle :  "  This 
second  Epistle,  beloved,  I  now  write  unto  i/ou  " — to  dispersed  Jew- 
ish converts  in  the  Roman  empire,  and  everywhere  else — "  those 
who  have  obtained  like  precious  faith  with  us." 

S. — Why  did  the  Apostle  write  a  second  Epistle  to  them  ? 
What  was  the  more  immediate  design  of  it? 

F. — He  foresaw  that  false  teachers  were  about  to  pour  in  upon 
them,  and  draw  them  away  from  the  faith  of  the  gospel,  and  he 
wrote  a  message  of  warning,  to  strengthen  and  establish  them. 
"  There  will  be  false  teachers  among  you,  who  privily  shall  bring 
in  damnable  heresies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  brought  them  " 
(Chap.  ii.  1).  To  denounce  these  troublesome,  pernicious  teach- 
ers, and  secure  his  brethren  against  their  influence,  was  the  main 
design,  undoubtedly,  of  this  Epistle. 

S. — Does  it  contain  any  new  developments  of  doctrine  ? 

F. — Like  the  first  Epistle,  it  discloses  some  important  doctrines 
more  fully  than  we  find  them  in  other  parts  of  the  Bible.  We  are 
here  informed  expressly  of  the  fall  of  the  rebel  angels ;  of  the  final 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  699 


conflagration  ;  and  of  the  new  lieavens  and  the  new  earth.  "  The 
day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night,  in  the  which  the 
heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall 
melt  with  fervent  heat;  the  earth,  also,  and  the  works  that  are 
therein,  shall  be  burned  up.  Nevertheless,  we  look  for  new 
heavens  and  a  new  earth  in  which  dwelleth  righteousness" 
(Chap  iii.  10-13). 

On  the  whole,  we  should  be  devoutly  thankful  for  this  second 
Epistle  of  the  great  Apostle.  It  contains  his  last  words  of  whicli 
we  have  any  knowledge  ;  and  certainly  they  are  words  fitly  spoken 
— warnings,  predictions  brought  faithfully  before  us,  to  which  we 
should  give  diligent  heed.  "  Seeing  we  look  for  such  things,  what 
manner  of  persons  ought  we  to  be,  in  all  holy  conversation  and 
godliness  I  " 


CONVERSATION  XX. 

THE  FIRST  EPISTLE  OF  JOHN.— Design  of  this  Epistle.— The  literal  body  of 
Chri.st  denied. — John's  description  of  Anti-Christ. — The  doctrine  of  the  atonement. — 
The  unpardonable  sin. — The  second  and  third  Epistles  of  St.  John. 

I.     THE   FIRST   EPISTLE   OF   JOHN. 

iSon. — As  tlie  Apostle  John  does  not  attach  his  name  to  this 
Epistle,  how  do  we  know  that  he  wrote  it  ? 

Father. — It  is  nniversally  ascribed  to  him  by  the  ancient  fathers. 
Its  authenticity  was  never  disputed.  The  Apostle  John  scarcely 
needs  to  affix  his  name  to  any  of  his  writings;  they  are  known  by 
their  style. 

S. — Is  there  any  marked  peculiarity  about  the  style  of  John  ? 

F. — There  certainly  is.  "  His  sentences,"  says  Doddridge,  "  con- 
sidered separately,  are  clear  and  intelligible  ;  but  when  we  look 
for  their  connection,  we  frequently  meet  Avith  greater  difficulties 
than  we  do  in  the  Epistles  of  Paul.  The  principal  characteristic 
of  his  manner  is  an  artless  simplicity,  and  a  singular  modesty  and 
candor,  joined  with  a  wonderful  sublimity  of  sentiment.  His  con- 
ceptions are  not  the  result  of  reasoning  and  investigation,  but 
rather  of  insight.  They  are  delivered  to  us  as  they  arose  in  his 
own  mind."  In  short,  John  was  the  mystic  in  the  college  of  the 
Apostles,  as  Paul  was  the  scholastic. 

S. — What  appears  to  have  been  the  design  of  this  first  Epistle  ? 

F. — It  was  to  expose  and  denounce  Gnosticism,  particularly  in 
its  bearing  upon  the  person  of  Christ ;  and  to  inculcate  and  enforce 
that  spirit  of  love  of  which  he  was  himself  so  eminent  an  example. 

S. — What  was  the  leading  principle  of  the  Gnostic  philosophy, 
which  was  threatening  the  churches,  before  the  death  of  the  Apos- 
tle John? 

F. — It  was  this, — that  matter  is  inherently  and  essentially  cor- 
rupting,— the  source  of  all  evil,  and  of  all  vice.  This  led  those 
under  the  influence  of  it  to  a  "  neglecting  of  the  body,"  to  a  de- 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  601 


iiial  of  the  resiuTection  of  the  body,  and  (what  was  particularly 
annoying  to  the  Apostle  John)  to  a  denial  of  the  literal  hodv  of 
the  Savior.  "  He  never  had  a  material  body.  To  suppose  this 
vi^ould  be  corrupting  and  degrading  to  him.  lie  seemed  to  those 
about  him  to  have  a  body,  but  he  had  none.  It  was  all  an  illusion. 
He  was  a  mere  specter,  without  any  body  of  flesh  and  blood," 
Such  w-as  the  teaching  of  the  Gnostics, — or  of  that  jjortion  of 
them  with  whom  John  came  in  contact, — in  regard  to  the  person 
of  Christ ;  and  I  hardly  need  say  that  John,  without  naming  it, 
strenuously  opposed  it.  For  he  saw  in  it  a  subversion  of  the 
gospel.  It  was  this  which  led  him  to  say,  in  the  first  verse  of  this 
Epistle,  that  he  had  not  only  seen,  but  handled  the  word  of  life." 
A  specter  may  be  seen,  but  not  handled.  It  was  this  Avhich  led 
him  to  affirm  so  strenuously  that  Jesus  Christ  had  come  in  the 
fieah,  and  to  denounce  as  antichrist  him  "who  denied  it."  Beloved, 
believe  not  every  spirit,  but  try  the  spirits,  whether  they  are  of 
God ;  because  many  false  prophets  are  gone  out  into  the  world. 
Hereby  know  jq  the  S})irit  of  God  :  Every  spirit  that  confesseth 
that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh,  is  of  God ;  and  every 
spirit  that  confesseth  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh 
is  not  of  God.  And  this  is  that  spirit  of  antichrist  whereof  ye 
have  heard  that  it  should  come,  and  even  already  is  it  in  the 
world  "  (Chap.  iv.  1-3). 

S. — Can  we  tell  when  and  where  this  Epistle  was  written  ? 

F. — Not  certainly.  I  think  that  all  John's  Epistles  were  written 
at  or  near  Ephesus,  to  which  place  he  removed  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem.  The  indications  also  are  that  they  were  written  near 
the  close  of  the  first  century, — perhaps  as  late  as  the  years  01  or 
92.  The  Gnostic  errors  had  not  prevailed  in  this  region,  at  least  in 
a  degree  to  become  formidable,  at  a  much  earlier  period. 

S. — Was  this  Epistle  addressed  to  any  particular  church,  or 
churches  ?  Or  was  it  intended  for  Christians  generally  ? 

F. — It  was  intended  primarily,  no  doubt,  for  the  churches  of 
lesser  Asia,  of  which  the  Apostle  seems  to  have  had  special  charge  ; 


602  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

but  ultimately  for  all  the  children  of  God, — as  it  is  eminently  ap- 
propriate and  profitable  to  them  all.  In  this  respect  it  may  well  be 
called  a  catholic  Epistle,  i.  e.,  a  writing  designed  for  all  men. 

S. — Does  John  bring  out  prominently,  in  this  Epistle,  the  great 
and  leading  doctrines  of  the  gospel  ? 

F. — Some  of  them  he  brings  forward  very  prominently ;  as  the 
true  doctrine  of  Christ's  person,  together  with  that  of  his  atonement 
and  intercession.  "  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  advocate  with  the 
Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous  ;  and  he  is  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins  ;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world"  (Chap.  ii.  1,  2).  We  have  here  also  the  doctrine  of  the  un- 
pardonable sin.  "  There  is  a  sin  unto  death ;  I  do  not  say  that  ye 
shall  pray  for  it"  (Chap.  v.  16).  In  short,  the  whole  Epistle  is 
remarkable  for  the  purity  and  excellence  of  its  teaching,  for  the 
kindness  of  its  spirit,  and  for  the  beautiful  example  which  it  fur- 
nishes of  a  ripe  and  established  Christian,  befitting  most  worthily 
"  the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved." 

It;    THE   SECOND   AND   THIRD   EPISTLE   OF   JOHN. 

S. — Is  it  certain  that  these  Epistles  were  written  by  John  ? 

F. — For  a  time,  their  authenticity  was  called  in  question  in  the 
early  church ;  and  the  reason  is  obvious.  The  fathers  would  re- 
ceive nothing  into  their  canon  which  they  were  not  sure  had  been 
written  by  an  Apostle,  or  written  under  his  direction.  And  as  these 
Epistles  were  short,  were  written  to  private  persons,  and  circulated, 
perhaps,  rather  privately,  it  was  a  considerable  time  before  the 
whole  church  could  see  them,  and  be  satisfied  as  to  their  authenticity ; 
as  fast  as  the  churches  became  satisfied  that  they  were  really  written 
by  the  Apostle  John,  they  were  admitted  to  a  place  in  the  sacred 
canon.  Dr.  Lardner  informs  us  that  they  were  quoted  b}^  Irenseus, 
and  referred  to  by  Clement  of  Alexandria,  both  of  them  living  in 
the  second  century.  At  a  later  period,  they  were  received  by 
Athanasius,  by  Cyril  of  Jerusalem,  by  the  Council  of  Laodicea,  by 
Epiphanius,   by    Jerome,    and   Augustine.     In  fact,  they  have  all 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  603 

Jolin's  peculiarities  about  tliein,  and  are  evideutly  from  the  same 
hand  which  wrote  the  first  Epistle. 

S. — On  what  occasion  were  these  short  Epistles  written  ? 

F. — The  first  was  sent  to  "  the  elect  lady  " — some  distinguished 
Christian  female  in  the  East — to  warn  her  and  her  children  against 
the  influence  of  false  and  seducing  teachers — the  same  as  those  re- 
ferred to  in  the  first  Epistle.  "  Many  deceivers,"  says  John,  "  are 
entered  into  the  world,  who  confess  not  that  Jesus  Christ  has  come 
171  the  flesh.     This  is  a  deceiver  and  an  Anti-Christ." 

The  second  Epistle  is  addressed  "  to  the  well-beloved  Gains, 
whom  I  love  in  the  truth."  This  I  take  to  be  the  same  Gains 
whom  Paul  mentions  in  his  Epistle  to  the  Romans, — not  merely 
because  he  has  the  same  name,  but  because  he  is  like  him  in  charac- 
ter and  liberality.  Gains  was  the  host  who  entertained  Paul  during 
his  long  residence  at  Corinth  (see  Rom.  xvi.  23),  and  the  Gains 
to  whom  John  writes  is  engaged  in  the  same  benevolent  work. 
"Beloved,  thou  doest  faithfully  whatsoever  thou  doest  to  the  breth- 
ren, and  to  strangers,  who  have  borne  witness  of  thy  charity  before 
the  church ;  whom,  if  thou  bring  forward  on  their  journey  after  a 
godly  sort,  thou  shalt  do  well"  (v.  5,  6).  The  Apostle  censures 
Diotrephes,  "  who  loves  to  have  the  pre-eminence,"  but  commends 
Demetrius,  "who  hath  a  good  report  of  all  men,  and  of  the  truth 
itself."  These  short  Epistles  give  ns  a  pleasing  idea  of  the  kind  of 
intercourse  which  prevailed  among  the  early  Christians,  and  of  the 
faithful,  parental  inspection  which  was  exercised  over  them  by  the 
venerable  Apostle. 


CONVERSATION  XXL 

THE  REVELATION. — Doubts  as  to  the  authorship. — Reasons  for  those  doubts. — Wlien 
written. — Banishment  of  John. — State  of  the  seven  churches  at  this  time. — The  scheme 
of  the  Jesuits. — Different  interpretations. 

THE   EEVELATIOX. 

Son. — This  book  is  repeatedly  ascribed  to  John  :  Are  you  sure 
that  this  was  the  Apostle  John  ? 

Father. — Such  is  the  testimony  of  nearly  all  the  fathers  from 
Justin  Martyr  down  to  the  fourth  century. 

S. — When  and  why  was  the  authenticity  of  the  book  called  in 
question  ?  What  led  Caius  of  Rome,  and  Nepos  of  Alexandria,  and 
others,  to  entertain  doubts  respecting  it? 

F. — These  doubts  were  entertained,  not  at  all  on  historical 
grounds,  but  for  reasons  purely  doctrinal.  The  historical  proof  of 
the  apostolical  and  canonical  authority  of  the  Apocalypse  was 
ample ;  but  the  millenarians  had  laid  hold  of  a  passage  in  the 
twentieth  chapter — that  which  speaks  of  the  binding  of  Satan  for  a 
thousand  years — and  urged  it  in  proof  of  their  peculiar  sentiments. 
And  the  fathers  above  mentioned  thought  that,  perhaps,  the  best 
way  to  be  rid  of  the  troublesome  passage  was  to  discard  the  book 
which  contained  it.  After  the  revolution  under  Constantine,  the 
millenarianism  of  the  primitive  times  fell  into  disrepute.  And 
from  tliat  period  the  authority  of  the  Apocalypse  was  fully  restored, 
and,  with  few  exceptions,  has  been  maintained  ever  since. 

S. — What  has  led  so  many  of  the  German  critics  of  the  present 
day  to  doul)t  the  authenticity  of  the  Apocalyj)se  ? 

F. — It  is  the  style  of  the  book — its  peculiar  words  and  phrases — 
an  argument  by  which  these  men  have  shown  themselves  capable 
of  proving  or  disproving  almost  anj^thing.  And  yet  the  style  of  the 
Apocalypse  is  not  more  different  from  the  other  writings  of  John, 
than  is  the  subject,  the  method,  the  object  of  the  composition. 
How  is  it  possible,  in  writing  such  a  book  as  that  before  us,  made 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  005 

up,  in  great  i:)art,  of  visions,  types,  and  symbolic  representations, — 
tliat  the  style  should  not  differ  from  that  of  a  plain  historic  narra- 
tive, or  a  familiar  loving  Epistle.  Any  competent  critic  would 
decide  beforehand,  that  there  must  be  peculiar  expressions,  and  a 
wide  diversity  of  stj'le. 

S. — But  if  the  Apostle  John  wrote  the  Apocalypse,  when  did  he 
write  it  ?    What  is  the  proper  date  of  the  book  ? 

F. — On  this  question,  modern  interpreters  are  divided.  That 
the  book  was  written  in  a  time  of  persecution,  while  John  was  ban- 
ished to  the  isle  of  Patmos,  or  soon  after  his  return,  is  on  all  sides 
admitted.  But  when  was  John  banished  to  the  isle  of  Patmos  ? 
What  persecution  was  raging  when  the  Apocalj-pse  was  written  ? 
Was  it  the  persecution  under  Nero,  about  the  j-ear  GG  ;  or  was  it 
the  persecution  under  Domitian,  some  thirty  years  later? 

>S'. — Does  not  this  question  of  time  materially  affect  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  book  ? 

F. — It  certainly  does.  Those  who  adopt  the  earlier  date, — among 
whom  are  most  of  the  German  and  some  American  critics, — believe 
that  much  of  the  prophetical  part  of  the  revelation  was  fulfilled  in 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  life  and  death  of  Nero ;  while 
those  who  fix  upon  the  later  date  give  to  the  prophetical  part  of 
the  book  a  much  wider  range  of  signification.  For  myself,  I  have 
no  doubt  that  John  was  banished  to  Patmos  b}'  Domitian,  and  that 
he  wrote  the  Apocalypse,  either  on  the  island,  or  shortly  after  his 
return,  near  the  close  of  the  first  century. 

*S'. — What  proof  have  you  of  this  position  ? 

F. — In  the  first  place,  we  have  the  testimony  of  nearly  all  the 
Christian  fathers.  I  refer,  first  of  all,  to  Ircna^us,  who  Avas  a  dis- 
ciple of  Polycarp,  who  was  a  disciple  of  John.  He  must  have  been 
familiarh^  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  of  John's  banishment, 
with  the  time  of  it,  and  by  whom  it  had  been  decreed.  He  could 
not  have  been  mistaken  on  these  points,  nor  is  there  any  mistake  or 
ambiguity  in  his  testimony.  "  The  Apocalypse,"  he  tells  us,  "  was 
seen,  not  long  ago,  but  almost  in  our  own  generation,  near  the  end 


606  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

of  the  reign  of  Domitian."*  This  testimony  has  never  been  set 
aside,  and  cannot  be.  It  is  enough  of  itself,  considering  the  cir- 
cumstances, to  decide  the  question  before  us. 

But  this  testimony  does  not  stand  alone.  It  is  concurred  in  by 
nearly  all  the  more  distinguished  fathers.  Victorinus  says  repeat- 
edly that  John  was  banished  by  Domitian,  and  in  his  time  saw  the 
Revelation.  Hippolytus  speaks  of  John  as  having  been  exiled 
to  Patmos  under  Domitian,  where  he  saw  the  Apocalypse.  Euse- 
bius,  speaking  of  the  persecution,  says,  "  In  this  persecution,  John 
the  Apostle,  being  still  alive,  was  banished  into  the  isle  of  Pat- 
mos."! Jerome,  in  his  book  of  illustrious  men,  says  :  "  Domitian, 
in  the  fourteenth  year  of  his  reign,  raised  the  next  persecution  after 
Nero,  when  John  was  banished  to  the  isle  of  Patmos,  where  he 
wrote  the  Revelation."  In  another  work,  he  says:  "John  was  a 
prophet ;  he  saAV  the  Revelation  in  the  isle  of  Patmos,  where  he  was 
banished  by  Domitian."|  Sulpicius  Severus  says,  that  John  the 
Apostle  was  banished  by  Domitian  to  the  isle  of  Patmos,  where  he 
had  visions,  and  where  he  wrote  the  Revelation." 

S, — Is  this  mass  of  external  testimony  supported  by  internal  evi- 
dence ? 

F. — It  is.  A  great  variety  of  evidence  drawn  from  the  book 
itself  goes  to  assure  us  that  it  could  not  have  been  written  until 
near  the  close  of  the  first  century.  It  was  not  till  this  time,  that 
the  first  day  of  the  week  began  to  be  called  "  the  Lord's  day  "—as 
it  is  in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Revelation.  It  was  not  till  near  the 
close  of  the  first  century,  that  there  was  a  presiding  elder  or 
"  angel,"  in  each  of  the  churches.  Previous  to  this,  the  elders  of 
the  churches  are  always  classed  together  on  terms  of  equality.  It 
is  obvious  that  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  were  in  a  very  different 
condition,  when  the  Apocalypse  was  written,  from  what  they  were 
in  the   time  of  Nero  and  of  Paul.     The    church  at  Ephesus  had 


*Contra  Hseses,  v.  20. 
tEcc.  Hist.  Lib.  iii.  Cap.  18. 
jWorks,  Vol.  vi.  pp.  120,  446. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  607 


"  lost  its  first  love."  The  church  at  Smyrna  had  those  in  its  coni- 
niiinion,  who  belonged  to  "  the  synagogue  of  Satan."  The  church 
at  Pergamos  harbored  not  only  the  Nicolaitanes,  but  those  who 
"held  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught  Balak  to  cast  a 
stumbling  block  before  the  children  of  Israel."  Tlie  chuicli  at 
Thyatira  suffered  "the  woman  Jezebel  to  teach,  to  seduce  its  mem- 
bers to  commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  offered  to  idols." 
The  church  at  Sardis  had  only  a  few  names  left  which  had  not 
defiled  their  garments ;  while  the  members  of  the  church  at  Laodi- 
cea  had  become  so  lukewarm,  and  offensive  to  Christ,  that  he  was 
ready  to  "  spew  them  out  of  his  mouth."  In  short,  these  churches 
had  all  of  them  declined — sadly  declined  from  what  they  were  when 
Paul  wrote  his  Epistles  to  some  of  them  ;  and  time  must  he  alloived 
— a  considerahle  time,  in  which  to  account  for  such  a  declension.  If 
we  suppose  the  Apocalypse  to  have  been  written  during  the  perse- 
cution under  Nero,  the  requisite  time  is  not  furnished.  But  if  the 
book  was  written  thirty  years  later,  in  the  persecution  under  Domi- 
tian,  the  declension  can  be  accounted  for,  at  least  on  the  score  of  time. 

)S. — Who  originated  the  idea,  in  modern  times,  that  most  of  the 
predictions  in  the  Apocalypse  were  fulfilled  in  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  tyranny  and  death  of  Nero  ? 

F. — This  scheme  of  interpretation  was  first  invented  by  the 
Jesuits,  with  a  view  to  rescue  Popery  from  the  blasting  visions 
and  denunciations  of  the  Apocalypse.  It  was  earnestly  adopted 
by  the  Rationalists  of  Germany.  It  has  found  favor  with  a  class 
of  interpreters  in  England  and  in  this  countr}', — among  whom  I 
am  sorry  to  include  the  late  Professor  Stuart  of  Andover,  and  Pro- 
fessor Cowles  of  Oberlin. 

S. — What  arguments  do  these  men  urge  in  favor  of  their  inter- 
pretation ? 

F. — They  urge  that  it  is  said  of  the  things  predicted  in  the 
Apocalypse,  that  they  would  be  fulfilled  quickly.  And  so  it  is 
said  of  the  resurrection,  and  the  general  judgment,  and  the  final 
state    of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  in  the  closing  chapter  of 


608  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tlie  Apocalypse,  that  they  must  shortly  he  done.  And  yet  they  are 
not  done.  They  are  still  future.  The  language  in  question  is  not 
to  be  understood  according  to  our  estimation  of  time,  but  rather 
as  God  estimates  it, — to  whom  "  one  day  is  as  a  thousand  years, 
and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day." 

It  is  assumed  by  these  interpreters,  that  the  coming  of  Christ, 
spoken  of  in  Rev.  i.  7,  is  his  coming  to  destroy  Jerusalem,  because 
of  the  intimation  that  some  who  were  actually  concerned  in  his 
crucifixion  would  be  present :  "  Every  ej'e  shall  see  him,  and  they 
also  tvhich  jnerced  him.  But  in  the  sense  in  which  the  murderous 
Jews  pierced  the  Savior,  we  all  have  pierced  him  by  our  sins.  He 
was  literally  pierced  by  only  one  man,  and  he  a  Roman  soldier. 
Also  in  the  same  sentence  with  that  quoted  above  it  is  said,  that 
''all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him."  But 
were  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  present,  with  their  wailing  and 
lamentations,  when  Jerusalem  was  destroyed;  or  is  this  scene 
reserved  to  the  final  coming  of  Christ  to  judge  the  world  ? 

It  is  still  further  urged  that  the  Apocalypse  must  have  been 
written  as  early  as  the  time  of  Nero,  since  only  seven  churches  are 
mentioned  in  it,  which  probably  was  the  whole  number  existing  at 
that  time  in  Asia  Minor.  But  it  would  be  easy  to  show  that  there 
were  many  churches  in  Asia  Minor,  before  the  death  of  Peter  and 
Paul.  In  addition  to  those  addressed  in  the  Apocalypse,  there  were 
churches,  certainly,  in  Iconium,  in  Lystra,  in  Derbe,  in  the  Pisidiam 
Antioch,  in  Hierapolis,  in  Pontus,  in  Cappadocia,  in  Bythinia,  in 
Cilicia,  in  Galatia,  in  Colosse,  and  probably  in  many  other  places. 

In  short,  we  find  nothing,  in  the  Apocalypse,  or  out  of  it,  which 
should  lead  us  to  think  that  it  was  written  during  the  persecution 
under  Nero,  and  that  the  most  of  it  relates  to  his  death,  to  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or  to  the  fall  of  Pagan  Rome.  Hence 
we  adopt  the  other  supposition,  that  it  was  written  during  the 
persecution  under  Domitian,  near  the  close  of  the  first  century, 
and  that  it  takes  a  much  wider  range  of  signification  than  that 
referred  to  above. 


COXYERSATION  XXII. 

THE  REVELATION  Continued.— Location  of  Patinos.— Use  of  it  by  tlie  nomans.— 
Vision  of  John.— Exi)laiiation  of  the  symbols  of  the  first  two  chapters.— The  inuiil.fr 
seven.— Cherubim.— What  it  is.— The  sea  of  ghus.«;.— Tlie  new  song.— Universal  .silva- 
tion. — Is  it  universal  ^ 

So7i. — AVhere  is  Patmos,  the  place  of  John's  banishment  ? 

Father. — It  is  a  desolate  island  in  the  .^gean  sea,  lying  between 
Icaria  and  the  proniontoiy  of  oNIiletus.  It  is  some  six  or  eight 
miles  in  length,  but  its  average  breadth  is  scarcely  more  than  one 
mile.  It  has  no  trees  or  rivers,  and  very  little  land  that  is  capable 
of  cultivation.  Owing  to  its  isolated  and  desolate  condition,  it 
was  frequently  used  by  the  Romans  as  a  place  of  banishment  for 
criminals.  » 

*S'. — In  this  lonely  and  desolate  island,  was  the  Apostle  entirely 
deserted  ? 

F. — By  no  means.  In  the  absence  of  earthly  friends  and  com- 
forts, he  seems  to  have  enjo3-ed  the  most  precious  communion 
with  Christ,  and  the  most  glorious  manifestations  or  visions  of  his 
presence.  We  have  a  glowing  account  of  one  of  the.se  vi.sions — 
perhaps  the  first  of  them — in  the  first  chapter  of  the  Revelation.  It 
occurred,  like  the  Pentecost,  on  the  first  day  of  the  week — "  tlie 
Lord's  day ; "  thus  setting  a  new  honor  upon  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Christian  dispensation.  "  I  was  in  the  spirit,  on  the  Lord's  day, 
and  I  heard  behind  me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  saying,  I  am 
Alpha  and  Omegn,  the  first  and  the  last ;  and  what  thou  seest 
write  in  a  book,  and  send  it  unto  the  seven  churches  which  are  in 
Asia.  And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  which  spake  with  me.  And 
being  turned,  I  saw  seven  golden  candlesticks  ;  and  in  the  midst  of 
the  seven  candlesticks,  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  ]\Lin,  clothed  witli 
a  garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden 
girdle.  His  head  and  his  l.air  were  white  like  wool,  as  white  as 
snow  ;  and  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire  ;  and  his  feet  like  unto 
fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in    a  furnace  :  and  his  voice  as  the 


610  CONVERSATIOXS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

sound  of  many  waters.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars, 
and  out  of  his  mouth  went  a  sharp  two-edged  sword,  and  his 
countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his  strength."  Such  was 
the  appearance  of  the  glorified  Son  of  God,  manifesting  himself  to 
his  suffering  disciple  on  this  memorable  occasion. 

S. — What  now  occurred  between  John  and  his  Divine  Master  ? 

F. — After  the  first  surprise  of  his  appearance  had  passed  away, 
Christ  proceeds  to  give  to  John  his  commission  to  write  the  book 
of  Revelation — the  very  book  now  open  before  us.  And  in  the 
commission  itself  a  threefold  division  of  the  book  is  indicated. 
"  Write,"  says  he,  "  the  things  ivhich  thou  hast  seet^  and  the  things 
which  are.,  and  the  things  wh^ich  shall  be  hereafter.''  According  to 
the  division  here  indicated,  the  first  part  of  the  book  is  comprised 
in  the  first  chapter :  For  here  is  the  record  which  John  made  of 
the  resplendent  and  glorious  vision  which  he  had  witnessed.  The 
second  part  of  the  book — "  the  things  Avhich  are  " — is  comprised  in 
the  second  and  third  chapters.  Here  we  have  the  messages  of  in- 
struction and  warning  which  were  to  be  sent  to  the  seven  churches  in 
Asia.  This  part  of  the  book  is  not  prophetical  at  all.  It  refers  sim- 
ply to  things  which  are.  The  third  part  of  the  book — the  i^rophet- 
ical  part — commences  properly  with  the  sixth  chapter.  The  fourth 
and  fifth  chapters,  in  which  is  presented  a  bright  vision  of  heaven, 
may  be  regarded  as  introductory  to  the  third  or  prophetical  part. 

S. — Please  explain  to  us  some  of  the  symbols  in  these  two  intro- 
ductory chapters — these  visions  of  heaven. 

F. — In  the  commencement  of  the  fourth  chapter,  John  tells  us 
that  he  "  looked,  and  behold  a  door  was  opened  in  heaven ;  and 
the  first  voice  which  I  heard  was,  as  it  were,  of  a  trumpet  talking 
with  me,  which  said  unto  me,  come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show 
thee  things  which  shall  be  hereafter.  And  immediately  I  was  in 
the  Spirit ;  and  behold  a  throne  was  set  in  heaven,  and  one  sat  on 
the  throne.  And  his  appearance  was  like  to  that  of  a  jasper,  or  as 
a  sardine  stone ;  and  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne 
in  sigrht  like  unto  an  emerald." 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  611 


The  personage  which  Jolm  suw  sitting  on  the  thnnie  was,  un- 
doubtedly, the  Eternal  Father— the  grand  executive  head  ol"  the 
Divine  administration,  whose  olHee-work  it  is  to  guard  the  lionors 
of  the  eternal  throne.  The  rainbow  round  about  the  throne  was 
a  bow  of  promise,  indicating  that  the  throne  of  the  Eternal  is  one, 
not  only  of  judgment,  but  of  grace.  John  "  saw  seven  lamps  of 
fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of 
God."  This  I  understand  to  be  a  symbolic  representation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  Hebrews  regarded  seven  as  a  perfect  number. 
Hence  the  seven  lamps,  or  seven  spirits,  denote  God's  perfect  Holy 
Spirit. 

John  also  "  saw  round  about  the  throne  four  and  twenty  seats, 
and  upon  the  seats  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white 
raiment,  and  having  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold.  He  saw,  also, 
four  living  creatures — improj)erly  translated  beasts — full  of  eyes 
before  and  behind." 

*S'. — What  is  represented  by  these  four  and  twenty  elders,  and  the 
four  living  creatures  ? 

F. — It  is  generally  understood, — and  I  think  correctly, — that  the 
four  and  twenty  elders  represent  the  redeemed  church  in  heaven. 
The  living  creatures  may  properly  be  called  cherubim  ;  as  they  are 
very  like  to  the  cherubim  and  seraphim  which  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel 
saw,  in  the  commencement  of  their  prophetic  visions  (Is.  vi.  2. 
Ezek.  i.  5). 

S. — And  what  are  cherubim  ? 

F. — They  are,  I  haA^e  no  doubt,  jjcrsonal  beings.  Personal  offices 
and  acts  are  ascribed  to  them.  They  unite  with  other  personal 
beings  in  singing  songs  of  praise  to  God  and  the  Land).  And  not 
only  are  they  personal  beings,  but  heavenly  beings.  Their  home  is 
in  heaven.     Their  Avork  and  worship  are  near  the  eternal  throne. 

S. — Are  they  then  a  distinct  eZass  of  heavenly  beings?  Or  are 
they  a  distinct  order  of  existing  classes — holy  angels  and  redeemed 
souls  ? 

F. — I  incline  to  the  latter  opinion.     We  know  of  but  twa  dis- 


612  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

tinct  classes  of  heavenly  beings — angels  and  glorified  men.  Yet 
among  these,  we  read  of  different  orders ;  some  higher,  and  some 
lower  ;  some  near  the  throne,  and  others  at  greater  distance  from  it. 
There  are  "  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places."  There 
are  angels  and  archangels,  cherubim  and  seraphim.  And  of  those 
who  have  gone  from  earth  to  heaven,  some  are  farther  advanced  than 
others  ;  since  every  one  is  to  be  rewarded  according  to  his  works. 
The  cherubim,  I  think,  are  among  the  highest  orders  of  celestial 
beings,  who  stand  nearest  the  Eternal,  and  are  specially  the  ser- 
vants of  his  throne.  So  they  are  represented  in  the  Scriptures.  In 
the  Jewish  tabernacle  and  temple,  where  were  figures  of  cherubim, 
their  place,  was  near  by  the  glorious  Shekinah — the  visible  mani- 
festation of  the  Divine  presence.  And  when  Isaiah  saw  the  Lord 
sitting  upon  his  throne,  high  and  lifted  up,  above  it  stood  the  sera- 
phim, crying  one  to  another,  "  holy,  holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord  God  of 
hosts."  The  cherubim  which  Ezekiel  saw  Avere  in  a  still  more  obvi- 
ous attitude  of  service.  They  are  represented  as  bearing  up  the 
throne  of  God,  and  as  constituting  the  chariot  of  his  glory.  The 
Psalmist  represents  the  Almighty  as  riding  upon  a  cherub — 

"  On  cherub  and  on  cherubim 
Full  royally  he  rode." 

In  the  Revelation,  too,  the  living  creatures, -the  cherubim,  are 
represented  as  having  their  places  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and 
round  about  it. 

*S'. — That  this  place  of  honor  is  occupied,  and  has  been  from  the 
beginning,  by  a  superior  order  of  angels  is  indubitable.  But  is  it 
occupied  by  the  angels  only  ?  Or  do  a  portion  of  the  ransomed  ones 
share  with  them  in  this  service  and  honor  ? 

F. — But  for  a  single  passage, — and  that  one  in  the  chapters  we 
are  considering,  we  might  feel  constrained  to  answer  this  question 
in  the  negative.  But  in  the  vision  before  us,  "  the  living  crea- 
tures," the  cherubim,  are  represented  as  uniting  with  the  four  and 
twenty  elders  in  singing  the  new  song  of  redeeming  mercy  (Chap, 
ix.  10,  11).     "And  when  the  Lamb  had  taken  the  book  out  of  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  G13 


hands  of  liini  who  sat  upon  the  tln-onc,  the  four  living  creatures 
and  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  fell  down  before  the  Laml),  and 
they  sung  a  new  song,  saying.  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book, 
and  to  open  the  seals  thereof,  for  thou  Avast  slain,  and  hast  re- 
deemed us  to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue, 
and  people,  and  nation"  (Chap.  v.  9).  There  is  no  evading  the 
force  of  this  passage.  The  living  creatures,  the  cherubim,  do  here 
unite  with  i\\Q  other  representatives  of  the  ransomed  church,  in 
singing  the  song  of  redeeming  mercy — a  song  which  none  can  ever 
learn  but  those  who  have  been  redeemed  from  among  men. 

S. — What  is  indicated  by  the  faces  and  forms  of  the  cherubim  ? 

F. — Probably  their  characters,  their  properties,  their  powers. 
The  first  was  like  a  lion,  to  indicate  their  courage  and  strength. 
The  second  was  like  a  calf  or  young  ox,  to  indicate  their  patience 
of  labor.  The  third  had  the  face  of  a  man,  to  indicate  their  intel- 
ligence. The  fourth  w^as  like  a  flying  eagle,  to  indicate  the  rapidit}- 
of  their  motions  in  accomplishing  the  service  of  God,  They  were 
also  furnished  with  wings,  and  had  eyes  before  and  behind,  still 
further  to  indicate  the  properties  Ave  have  ascribed  to  them. 

S. — What  further  did  John  see  in  heaven  ? 

F. — He  saw  "  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne 
a  book,  written  within,  and  on  the  l)ack  side  sealed  with  seven 
seals."  And  he  saw  "a  strong  angel  proclaiming  with  a  loud 
voice,  Who  is  Avorthy  to  oj^en  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals 
thereof?  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither  under  the 
earth,  Avas  able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon."  This 
book  Avhich  John  saAv  Avas  not  enclosed  in  covers,  like  our  books. 
It  Avas  a  great  roll  of  parchment,  closely  rolled  up,  and  sealed  on 
the  back  Avith  seven  seals ;  so  that  AA'hen  one  seal  Avas  broken,  it 
could  be  unrolled  a  certain  AA-ay  to  disclose  Avhat  Avas  behind  it ; 
and  AAdien  another  seal  Avas  broken,  it  could  be  unrolled  farther, 
and  disclose  more.  This  Avas  the  book  of  prophecy — the  book  of 
God's  inscrutable  purposes,  into  Avhich  no  created  being  in  heaven, 
or  on  earth,  or  auA'AAdiere  else,  Avas  able  to  look. 


38 


6U  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

And  John  says  :  "  I  wept  much,  l)ecause  no  one  was  found  able 
to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And  one  of  the  elders 
said  unto  me  :  Weep  not ;  for  behold  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah 
and  the  Root  of  David  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose 
the  seven  seals  thereof."  Here,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ — "  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the  Root  of  David '" — is  first  brought 
upon  the  heavenly  scene.  He  comes  forward  in  apj)earance  as  a 
lamb  that  had  been  slain,  and  takes  the  book  out  of  the  hands  of 
him  that  sat  upon  the  throne.  He  breaks  the  stubl^orn  seals,  un- 
rols  the  mystic  scroll,  and  shows  the  prophetic  symbols  that  were 
concealed  behind  it. 

S. — What  great  truth  of  the  gospel  is  here  set  forth  ? 

F. — The  proper  Divinity  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  No  created 
being  in  heaven,  or  earth,  or  an3'where  else,  could  break  one  of  these 
seals,  or  disclose  what  was  concealed  under  it.  In  other  words,  no 
created  being  in  the  universe  can  look  out  into  the  distant,  con- 
tingent future,  and  tell  us  what  shall  be  hereafter.  But  Christ 
can  do  this  easily,  infallibly,  thus  proving  his  claim  to  a  proper 
Divinity. 

S. — What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  sea  of  glass,  like  unto 
crystal,  which  John  saw  before  the  throne  ? 

F. — Most  interpreters  have  supposed  a  reference  here  to  the 
molten  sea  which  Solomon  placed  in  the  temple,  intended  for 
ablutions  and  purifications  ;  but  I  doubt  the  fact  of  such  a  reference. 
The  scenery  in  the  vision  is  not  that  of  the  Jewish  temple,  but 
rather  that  of  heaven  itself,  where  was  the  throne  of  God  and  the 
Lamb,  and  the  countless  myriads  of  worshipers.  I  think  that  what 
seemed  to  the  eye  of  the  Apostle  like  a  sea  of  polished  crystal 
was  rather  the  pavement  round  about  the  throne,  where  the  wor- 
shipers presented  themselves.  And  this  accords  with  another  vision 
in  this  wonderful  book  (Chap,  xv.)  :  "  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of 
glass  mingled  with  fire ;  and  they  that  have  gotten  the  victory  over 
the  beast,  and  over  his  image  stand  on  the  sea  of  c/lass,  having  the 
.harps    of  God."     They  do  not   bathe  in  the  sea,  or  wash  or  purify 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  615 


themselves  in  it.  Tliey  ih'cmI  ho  ablutions  in  lieaven.  IJut  tliey 
stand  upon  it,  as  up(»n  a.  polisluMl  and  ^dittering  pavement. 

*S'. — Why  is  the  song  ol"  iciK'eniing  mercy,  siuig  hy  the  living 
creatures  and  the  elders,  here  called  a  new  sonir  ? 

F. — This  song  may  be  called  new,  on  account  of  its  xitri>iisx'niii 
interest.  It  will  always  be  new.  It  can  never  grow  old,  or  (which 
is  the  same)  become  uninteresting.  It  may  also  be  called  new,  be- 
cause it  /.s  comparatively  a  new  song  in  heaven.  It  lias  not  been 
sung  there  always;  nor  for  a  very  long  period.  Heaven  had  lieen 
inhabited  by  holy,  happy  creatures  long  ages  before  tlie  new  song 
had  ever  been  chanted  there.  Briglit  angels  of  different  orders  had 
lifted  up  their  hearts  and  voices  in  praise  to  their  almighty  Creator; 
but  they  had  never  sung  the  song  of  redeeming  mercy.  Thev  had 
no  idea  of  such  a  song,  and  no  thought  that  it  ever  could  or  woidd 
be  sung  anywhere.  The  new  song  was  sung  on  earth,  before  it 
was  heard  in  heaven.  It  was  not  until  redeemed  souls  had  been 
gathered  from  the  earth,  and  received  up  to  heaven,  that  the  living 
creatures  and  the  elders  commenced  singing  the  new  song  before 
the  throne. 

S. — Near  the  close  of  the  new  song,  the  ransomed  ones  are 
represented  as  saying :  "  Thou  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings 
and  priests,  and  we  shall  reign  upon  the  earth "  (Chap.  v.  10). 
What  does  this  imply  ?  Are  the  redeemed  in  heaven  to  come  back 
to  earth,  and  literally  reign  upon  it  ? 

F. — I  think  not.  The  Avhole  scene  presented  in  this  vision  is 
symbolical.  The  living  creatures  and  the  elders  symbolize  the 
redeemed  church.  And  their  song  implies,  not  that  they  are  lit- 
erally to  descend  to  the  earth,  and  have  crowns  and  kingdoms 
here,  but  that  God's  church  is  yet  to  reign  upon  the  earth.  It  is 
to  predominate  over  all  other  interests.  In  the  words  of  Daniel : 
"  The  kingdom,  and  dominion,  and  greatness  of  the  kingdom 
under  the  whole  heaven  shall  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High  "  (Dan.  vii.  27). 

S. — In  the  errand  chorus  of  the  new  song,  -every  creature  which 


G16  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  in  the 
sea,"  are  represented  as  singing,  "  Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory, 
and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb,  forever  and  ever."  This  language  has  often  been  quoted 
as  proving  the  doctrine  of  universal  restoration.  However  long 
the  reign  of  sin  may  be,  the  time  will  come,  when  every  creature 
that  is  in  heaven,  or  on  earth,  or  in  the  sea,  or  anywdiere  else,  will 
be  brought  to  Christ,  and  will  unite  in  singing  praises  to  God  and 
the  Lamb  forever.     What  will  you  say  to  this  argument  ? 

F. — It  is  a  sufficient  refutation  of  this  conceit  to  remember,  that 
the  language  here  used  is  not  prophecy.  It  does  not  belong  to  the 
prophetical  part  of  the  Revelation.  That  commences,  as  I  have 
said,  Avith  the  sixth  chapter.  John  is  not  predicting,  in  the 
verses  before  us,  a  universal  restoration,  to  be  accomplished  far 
down  in  the  cycles  of  time,  but  he  is  recording  what  he  actually 
saw  and  heard  at  the  time  of  the  vision.  And  what  did  he  see 
and  hear?  He  heard  every  creature  that  was  then  in  heaven, 
holy  angels  and  the  spirits  of  holy  men, — some  of  whose  bodies 
were  still  mouldering  on  the  earth,  or  under  the  earth,  or  in  the 
sea, — he  heard  them  all  singing  with  a  loud  voice  :  "  Blessing  and 
honor,  glory  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb,  forever  and  ever."  This  is  all  the  Universal- 
ism  that  this  passage  teaches  ;  and  it  is,  as  you  see,  no  Universalism 
at  all.  What  can  be  inferred,  as  to  the  final  destination  of  men, 
from  the  fact  that,  some  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  John  heard 
all  heaven  uniting  in  a  grand  chorus  of  praise  to  Jehovah  and  the 
Lamb  ? 


CONVEIISATIOX  XXIII. 

THE  REVELATION  Continued.— rredictions —To  what  tlicy  refer.— God's  deMin^n 
in  making  the  Kevelation.— Synibol.s.— What  tiiey  are.— The  division  of  tlie  Ap.K-alv|rse 
— Exphmation  of  the  White  Ikn>e.— Tlie  Seven  Seals.— Tlio  Seven  Trumja-t.s— The 
Mighty  Angel  witii  the  rainbow  about  his  head.— Adventisni. 

Son. — We  come  now  to  the  third,  the  prophetical  part  of  the 
Revehition— that  rehitiiig  to  "things  which  shall  be  hereafter." 
To  what,  in  general,  do  these  predictions  refer  ? 

Father. — They  refer  to  leading  events  in  the  history  of  God's 
church,  from  the  time  Avhen  they  were  written,  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  Xot  that  they  furnish  a  syllabus,  in  minute  detail,  of  the 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  world ;  l)ut  leading  events, 
whether  prosperous  or  adverse,  pertaining  to  the  hi.<itory  of  God's 
church,  and  of  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  as  connected  with  it, 
are  here  symbolically  set  forth. 

/S'. — Are  they  presented  in  a  strictl}^  chronological  order? 

F. — I  think  not.  Still,  there  is  some  regard  paid  to  chronology ; 
for  the  prediction  commences  -with  the  early  conquests  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  ends  with  its  final  triumph  in  this  world,  and  its  glorious 
consummation  in  heaven.  But  then  we  are  not  to  look  for  regu- 
lar chronological  sequences  from  chapter  to  chapter,  nor  anything 
like  it.  The  visions  and  revelations  are  mostly  scenic,  and  great 
occurrences  are  represented  frequently  in  successive  scenes,  that  a 
more  full  and  complete  view  of  them  may  be  exhibited.  The 
course  of  the  gospel  through  the  ages,  as  set  forth  in  these  visions, 
is  not  one  of  quiet  prevalence,  but  rather  one  of  long  and  terrible 
conflict.  Earth  and  hell  are  arrayed  against  it,  and  the  contest  is 
protracted  and  dreadful.  The  church  is  represented  as  struggling 
against  its  mortal  enemies — the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 
prophet,  and  is  sometimes,  apparently,  on  the  verge  of  destruction. 
All  the  way,  however,  it  is  sustained  by  the  ministry  of  angels, 
and  by  frequent  interpositions  of  the  Son  of  God;  and  in  the  end, 
the    conflict    comes   out  gloriously.     The  mystic  Babylon  is  with 


G18  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

violence  thrown  down,  and  shall  be  fonnd  no  more  at  all.  "  The 
great  whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with  her  fornications," 
is  brought  to  judgment  and  is  condemned.  The  beasts,  which  had 
so  long  ravaged  the  church,  are  destroyed.  The  dragon,  that  old 
serpent,  which  is  the  devil  and  Satan,  is  caught  and  imprisoned,  to 
come  out  no  more  for  a  long  period.  A  song  goes  np  from  all  the 
host  of  heaven,  saying,  "  Alleluia  !  Salvation  and  glory  and  honor 
and  power  be  nnto  the  Lord  our  God ;  for  true  and  righteous  are 
his  judgments." 

S. — What  was  the  design  of  Christ,  in  making  these  revelations? 

F. — It  was  to  instruct  and  warn  the  people  of  God.  It  was  to 
strengthen  and  comfort  them,  during  their  long  conflict  with  earth 
and  hell,  setting  before  them  its  glorious  termination,  and  the 
certainty  of  their  final  security  and  triumph.  Confined  in  dark 
dungeons,  and  tortured  in  every  form  that  a  hellish  ingenuity 
could  invent ;  chained  to  the  burning  pile,  or  torn  by  savage  beasts, 
or  thrown  from  the  tops  of  rocks,  or  drowned  in  the  deep ;  who  can 
tell  how  much  God's  suffering  people  have  been  comforted  by  re- 
flecting on  the  glowing  visions  of  this  wonderful  book  ?  It  was 
here  that  they  gathered  arms  for  the  deadly  fight,  and  strength  to 
triumph  over  their  last  enemy. 

S. — These  revelations,  you  say,  are  imparted  by  means  of  sym- 
bols :     What  are  symbols  ? 

F. — They  are  not  the  same  as  types,  or  figures  of  speech,  but 
are  the  setting  forth  of  moral  ideas  by  pictures,  or  natural  objects. 
Thus  a  circle  is  a  symbol  of  eternity,  having  neither  beginning  nor 
end ;  an  eye  is  a  symbol  of  wisdom  ;  a  lion  of  courage ;  a  lamb  of 
meekness  and  gentleness ;  and  a  dove  of  innocence.  Not  a  few  of 
the  symbols  employed  in  the  Revelation  are  interpreted  by  the 
writer  or  speaker.  Thus  it  is  said  in  the  first  chapter :  "  The 
seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches  ;  and  the  seven 
candlesticks  are  the  seven  churches."  And  in  the  seventeenth 
chapter :  "  The  seven  heads  are  the  seven  mountains  on  which  the 
woman  sitteth ;  "  and  "  the  ten  horns  are  ten  kings  "  or  kingdoms. 


CONVERSATIONS  OX  Tin-:  BIBLE.  010 


So  the  bread  and  wine  in  the  sacrament  are  symbols  of  the  \nA\ 
and  Ijlood  of  Christ.  And  where  the  symbol  is  not  explained,  it  is 
not  usually  of  diilicult  interpretation.  The  nature  of  it  will  sug- 
gest its  import,  with  at  least  sufficient  clearness  to  answer  the 
purpose  of  the  writer.  The  design  of  prophecy  does  not  recpiire 
that  there  should  be  an  explicit  statement  of  what  is  to  take 
place,  with  a  detail  of  names,  dates,  and  circumstances;  but  onlv 
such  a  statement  as  will  show  that  some  future  event  was  intended, 
and  will  so  far  indicate  or  describe  the  event,  that  when  it  comes 
to  pass,  it  may  be  seen  that  it  really  was  the  event  referred  to. 
It  is  no  part  of  the  object  of  the  prophetic  Scriptures  to  enable  the 
interpreter  to  prophesy,  but  rather  to  confirm  his  faith,  and  that 
of  the  whole  church,  when  the  event  shall  actually  have  occurred. 
And  this  may  be  done  by  appropriate  symbols,  as  well  as  in  any 
other  way. 

*S'. — In  the  prophetical  part  of  the  Apocalypse,  do  we  find  anv 
obvious  plan  or  method?  Can  any  such  be  traced  and  pointed 
out? 

F. — I  think  it  can  be.  The  prophetical  portion  of  the  Ajjoca- 
lypse  is  obviously  divided  into  two  parts.  The  first  train  of  pre- 
dictions terminates  at  the  Millennium.  The  seven  scabs,  including 
the  trumpets,  run  on  to  this  stage  ;  for  when  the  seventh  angel 
sounded,  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  "  The  kingdoms 
of  this  world  have  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  his 
Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  forever  and  ever."  In  other  words,  on 
the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet,  the  millennium  is  ushered  in. 
But  as  the  latter  part  of  this  long  period  is  but  diml}'  indicated  In* 
the  seals  and  trumpets,  there  is  a  fuller  exhibition  of  it  in  succes- 
sive symbols  and  visions,  in  order  to  make  the  view  more  com- 
plete. These  commence  with  the  rise  of  the  Papal  power,  and 
extend  onward  to  the  millennium,  through  the  12G0  years.  The  two 
first  of  these  superadded  symbols  are  the  treading  of  the  holy  city, 
the  church,  under  foot  by  the  Gentiles  for  forty  and  two  months; 
and  the  i)rophesying  of   the  two    witnesses    in  sackcloth,    for  the 


620  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

same  i:)eriod  (Chap.  xi.  2,  3).  The  third  is  that  of  the  woman 
fleeing  into  the  wilderness,  to  be  nourished  and  protected  there  for 
the  same  period  (Rev.  xii).  And  the  fourth  is  that  of  the  two 
beasts  which  were  to  continue  their  ravages  for  the  same  time 
(Chap.  xiii.  5).  These -all  spread  over  the  same  period — a  period 
covered  too  by  the  seal,  and  trumpets — and  terminate  in  the  great 
conflict  immediately  preceding  the  millennium. 

And,  as  though  even  these  had  not  depicted  events  with  sufficient 
fullness  and  clearness,  they  are  supplemented  by  several  other  sym- 
bols and  visions.  Thus  there  is  the  vision  of  the  great  harlot,  rid- 
ing on  the  Roman  beast ;  and  of  the  seven  angels  pouring  out  their 
seven  vials — the  seven  limt  jjlai/iu'S  ;  and  of  the  terrific  fall  of  the 
mystical  Babylon  ;  and  of  the  closing  victory  of  the  Son  of  God 
(Rev.  xvi.-xiv).  Thus  ends  the  first  train  of  Apocalyptic  visions, 
terminating,  as  I  said,  with  the  millennium. 

The  second  train  of  predictions  included  the  millennium  ;  the 
defection  following  it ;  the  final  overthrow  of  all  God's  enemies  ; 
the  resurrection  and  general  judgment ;  the  end  of  the  wicked  in 
the  lake  of  fire  ;  and  the  eternal  glories  of  God's  church  in  heaven. 

It  will  be  seen  that  here  is  plan  and  method.  The  more  compli- 
cated part  of  it  is  the  1260  years  preceding  the  millennium,  where 
several  visions  are  recorded,  not  following  each  other  chronolog- 
ically, but  spreading  over  the  same  period,  for  the  purpose  of  a 
greater  fullness  and  completeness  of  delineation. 

S. — We  will  not  ask  you  to  explain  all  the  symbols  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, but  can  you  not  indicate,  in  few  words,  what  you  think  to  be 
the  import  of  some  of  the  seals  and  the  trumpets? 

F. — The  Avhite  horse,  under  the  first  seal,  with  the  great  Captain 
of  our  salvation  seated  upon  it,  going  forth  "  conquering  and  to 
conquer,"  obviously  sets  forth  the  rapid  triumphs  of  the  gospel  in 
the  second  and  third  centuries.  The  red,  the  black,  and  the  pale 
horses,  under  the  next  three  seals,  indicate  the  various  calamities — 
wars,  famine,  and  pestilence,  which  successively  befell  the  Roman 
empire,  down  to  the  time  of  Constantine  (Rev.  vi.  3-8).     On  the 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BU'.LK.  621 


opening  of  the  fifth  seal,  we  behold  clear  iiulieations  of  persecution 
— the  last  and  most  terrible  of  the  Pao-an  persecutions — that  under 
Diocletian  (Rev.  vi.  9-11).  The  great  earthquake,  under  tin-  sixth 
seal,  denotes  the  mighty  revolution  under  Constautine,  which  put 
down  all  the  heathen  magistrates  and  priests,  removed  the  capital 
from  Rome  to  Constantinople,  and  placed  Christianity  on  the  throne 
(Rev.  xi.  12-17).  On  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  the  seven 
angels  appear  with  their  trumpets, — showing  that  the  trumpets  are 
all  included  under  the  seventh  seal  (Rev.  xiii.  2).  We  shall  not 
have  done  with  the  seals,  therefore,  until  the  seventh  trumpet  is 
sounded ;  and  that  will  be  sounded  to  usher  in  the  millennium 
(Rev.  xi.  15). 

The  four  first  trumpets,  I  think,  indicate  the  successive  enemies 
which  wasted  the  western  Roman  empire  after  Constautine — the 
Goths,  the  Vandals,  the  Huns,  the  Ostrogoths, — and  affected  its 
overthrow,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifth  century  (Rev.  viii.  7-12). 
The  fifth  and  sixth  trumpets  refer  to  the  eastern  empire,  and  to 
events  resulting  in  its  destruction.  The  fifth  trumpet  introduces 
the  rise  of  jNIahometanism,  and  its  rapid  prevalence  under  the  Sara- 
cens, threatening  to  overrun  the  whole  Christian  world  (Rev.  ix. 
1-11).  The  sixth  trumpet  presents  the  rise  and  triumphs  of  the 
Turks,  who  conquered  the  Saracens,  captured  Constantinople,  and 
utterly  destroyed  the  Eastern  Roman  empire  (Rev.  ix.  13-21). 
The  blast  of  this  trumpet  is  not  yet  ended,  though  its  sound  is 
feeble,  and  is  destined  ere  long,  we  hope,  to  cease. 

S. — We  have  now  reached  the  end  of  the  ninth  chapter.  In  the 
beginning  of  the  tenth,  "  a  mighty  angel  comes  down  from  heaven, 
clothed  with  a  cloud,  and  a  rainbow  about  his  head,  his  face  as  it 
were  the  sun,  and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire."  Who  is  this  mighty 
angel  ? 

^, — After  considering  the  various  opinions  which  have  been 
expressed  in  answer  to  this  question,  I  agree  with  Ib'Ugstenberg, 
that  this  angel  is  none  other  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  is 
often,  in  Scripture,  called  an  angel.     The  little  book  whieh  he  holds 


622  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

in  his  hand  I  understand  to  be  the  remaining  unfulfilled  part  of  the 
sealed  book  of  prophecy  which  he  took  out  of  the  hand  of  him  that 
sat  upon  the  throne,  in  the  early  part  of  the  Revelation  (Chap.  v. 
7).  The  seals  of  this  book  had  all  been  opened,  but  the  portents 
of  the  seventh  seal,  which  included  the  seven  trumpets,  were  not 
yet  entirely  fulfilled.  The  seventh  trumpet  had  not  been  blown, 
nor  had  the  blast  of  the  sixth  trumpet  ceased  to  sound.  The 
contents  of  the  book  which  Christ  had  received  from  the  Supreme 
Disposer  had  been  chiefly  but  not  entirely  unfolded,  and  the  small 
part  which  remained  unaccomplished  constituted  the  little  book  in 
the  angel's  hand. 

S. — But  why  was  this  glorious  vision  interposed  here  ?  Why  did 
the  Son  of  God  condescend  to  appear  again  as  the  angel  of  the 
covenant,  and  swear  the  solemn  oath  contained  in  this  chapter  ? 

F. — I  can  think  of  but  one  reason.  As  early  as  the  close  of  the 
first  century,  many  excellent  Christians  were  pleasing  themselves 
with  the  notion  of  the  speedy  coming  of  Christ.  He  was  soon  to 
come,  and  set  up  his  kingdom  in  the  world,  and  reign  in  glory 
with  his  saints.  And  this  delusion  has  been  revived,  at  different 
periods,  all  the  way  from  the  age  of  John  to  the  present  time.  Dur- 
ing the  blast  of  the  sixth  trumpet  some  of  the  best  people  on  the 
earth  have  been  deceiving  themselves  in  this  way.  This  was  the  case 
with  John  Wickliffe  and  his  followers — the  Lollards,  the  Hussite, 
and  many  others.  Under  one  name  or  another,  these  Adventists 
continued  down  to  the  Lutheran  reformation.  They  were  found  in 
many  of  the  reformed  churches,  and  even  among  our  Xew  England 
fathers.  They  are  found  in  almost  every  Protestant  country  at  the 
present  time.  Some  of  them  have  been  fanatical  and  heretical,  but 
many  of  them  have  been  excellent  people,  loving  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  clinging  to  the  hope  of  his  speedy  coming.  Others  have  had 
their  patience  tried  by  delay.  They  have  been  ready  to  say,  with 
the  souls  under  the  altar,  "  How  long,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not 
judge  and  avenge  the  sufferings  of  thy  people  !  How  long  shall  it 
be  to  the  end  of  these  wonders  I  "  In  compassion  to  persons  such  as 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  JUIiLE.  C23 


these,  and  to  cure  them,  if  possible,  of  their  impatience  and  tlieir 
delusions,  our  Lord  presents  himself  in  this  most  remarkahle  vision. 
Standing  in  glory  upon  the  land  and  tlie  sea,  he  lifts  up  liis  liand 
to  heaven,  and  swears  by  him  wholiveth  forever  and  ever,  that  the 
TIME  OF  THE  END  IS  NOT  YET.  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the 
seventh  angel,  when  he  shall  begin  to  sound,  thn  shall  the  mystery 
of  God  he  finished^  as  he  hath  declared  by  his  servants  the  prophets. 
Let  him  that  heareth  understand. 


CONVERSATION  XXIV. 

THE  REVELATION  Concluded.— The  1260  days.— Their  significance  and  duration.— 
The  Millennium. — Difficulties  of  ascertaining  the  time  of  its  coming. — One  valuable  clue. 
— Some  interesting  deductions. — The  first  resurrection. — What  we  are  to  understand  by 
it. — The  beautiful  City  of  God. — And  the  final  end  of  the  world. 

Son. — We  now  come  to  the  commencement  of  the  ante-millennial 
period  of  forty-two  months,  or  1260  clays,  during  which  the  holy 
city,  the  church,  is  to  be  trodden  under  foot  by  the  Gentiles,  the 
two  witnesses  are  to  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  the  woman  is  to  flee 
into  the  wilderness,  and  the  two  beasts  are  to  continue  their  ravages 
(Chap,  xi.-xiii).  The  events  here  symbolized,  if  I  understand  you, 
are  not  successive,  but  simultaneous.  They  run  over  the  same 
period.  They  begin  and  they  end  together.  This  period  is  literally 
1260  days.  Are  there  good  reasons  for  supposing  that  these  days 
indicate  as  many  years  ? 

F. — In  the  prophetic  language  of  Scripture,  a  day  is  often — not 
always — reckoned  for  a  year.  This  mode  of  reckoning  began  with 
Moses.  When  it  was  predicted  of  the  Israelites  that  they  should 
wander  in  the  wilderness  forty  years,  it  was  added :  "  After  the 
number  of  the  days  in  which  ye  searched  the  land,  even  forty  days, 
each  day  for  a  year  shall  ye  bear  your  iniquities,  even  forty  years  " 
(Num.  xiv.  34).  So  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  when  predicting  the  siege 
and  capture  of  Jerusalem,  was  directed  to  lie  on  his  right  side,  and 
bear  the  iniquity  of  the  house  of  Judah  forty  days., — "  I  have 
appointed  thee  each  day  for  a  year'''  (Ezek.  iv.  6).  Also  in  the 
prophecy  of  Daniel,  this  mode  of  prophetic  expression  is  resorted  to  : 
'•'•  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thv 
holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  and  to  make  an  end  of  sin, 
and  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to  bring  in  everlasting 
righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the  vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint 
the  Most  Holy"  (Dan.  ix.  24).  This  prediction  refers  undoubt- 
edly to  the  ^Messiah,  and  to  the  time  when  he  should  appear  to 
make  expiation  for  sin.     The  commencement  of  the  seventy  weeks 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  r.IBLK.  626 


was  "  from  the  going  forth  of  the  decree  to  restore  and  to  build 
Jerusalem,"  which  was  given  to  Nehemiah  by  Artaxerxes  Longi- 
manus,  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  reign  (Xeh.  ii.  1 ).  And  from 
this  time  to  the  death  of  Clirist  was  490  years — seventy  weeks, 
counting  a  day  for  a  year.  From  the  projihets  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, this  mode  of  reckoning  came  down  to  John.  He  adopts  it  in 
several  places  in  .the  Revelation,  and  specially  in  the  period  we  are 
now  considering.     The  1260  days  denote,  undoubtedly,  1260  years. 

*S'. — But  if  this  mode  of  reckoning  is  adopted,  not  constantly,  but 
onl}-  occasionally,  by  the  prophets,  how  are  Ave  to  determine  when 
it  is  used,  and  Avhen  not  ? 

F. — AVe  are  to  be  guided  in  these,  as  in  other  cases,  ])y  the  con- 
nection and  the  sense.  AVhen  it  is  said  in  Jeremiah,  "These 
nations  shall  serve  the  king  of  Babylon  seventy  years,"  the  connec- 
tion shows  that  literal  years  are  intended.  But  when  Daniel  pre- 
dicts, in  the  passage  above  considered,  the  death  of  the  Messiah  at 
the  end  of  seventy  weeks,  both  the  connection  and  the  fulfillment 
show  that  a  much  longer  period  is  indicated. 

*S'. — Who  or  Avhat  do  you  regard  as  the  power  Avhich  is  to  tyran- 
nize over  the  church  during  the  long  period  of  1260  years? 

F. — It  is,  I  cannot  doubt,  the  Papal  power.  This  has  been  the 
grand  enemy  of  the  church  of  God,  treading  it  under  foot,  driving 
it  into  the  wilderness,  compelling  it  to  prophes}'  in  sackcloth,  for 
more  than  a  thousand  years.  And  it  will  do  so  again,  except  so  far 
as  it  is  restrained,  even  unto  the  end  of  these  wonders. 

S. — And  when  will  this  be  ?  When  did  this  long  period  of  Papal 
oppression  and  persecution  commence,  and  when  will  it  end? 

jT. — It  ends,  in  every  case,  in  what  is  technically  called  the 
Millennium.  And  if  we  knew  accurately  when  it  commenced,  we 
mio-ht  determine  the  date  of  the  millennium.  But  this  we  do  not 
know.  When  was  the  mystical  temple  measured,  and  the  court  of 
the  Gentiles  left  out,  and  the  holy  city  given  up  to  be  trodden 
underfoot?  When  did  the  two  witnesses  commence  giving  their 
testimony  in  sackcloth  ?   When  did  the  woman  flee  into  the  wilder- 


626  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 


iiess,  to  be  sheltered  and  nourished  there  ?  We  have  not  the  means 
of  answering  definitely  any  of  these  questions.  There  is  however 
one  of  the  apocalyptic  symbols,  denoting  the  commencement  of  the 
1260  years,  Avhich,  as  it  seems  to  me,  is  quite  definitely  fixed.  It  is 
the  rising  of  the  beast  out  of  the  sea,  in  the  thirteenth  chapter.  This 
beast,  I  cannot  doubt,  denotes  Papal  Rome,  in  its  secular,  political 
character ;  and  it  arose  Avhen  the  Pope  received  his  temporal 
dominions,  and  became  a  king.  This  took  place  about  the  year 
756  ;  and  the  1260  years,  added  to  this,  will  make  the  millennium 
to  commence  about  the  year  2000 ;  or  in  the  six  thousandth 
year  of  the  world.  Meanwhile,  the  way  will  be  constantly  prepar- 
ing for  it ;  revolutions  will  be  taking  place  one  after  another  ;  and 
the  power  of  Rome  will  be  steadily  diminishing.  But  at  the  time 
above  mentioned,  the  millennium,  I  trust,  may  be  fully  introduced, 
and  the  seven  thousandth  year  of  the  world  may  be  the  great  Sab- 
batical period. 

S. — You  have  told  us  that  the  seals  and  the  trumpets  reach  down 
to  the  millennium  ;  that  the  symbols  during  the  1260  years  are 
supplementary  to  the  seventli  seal  and  the  three  Ip-st  trumpets  ;  and 
that,  to  make  the  representation  during  tliis  period  still  more  com- 
plete, still  other  supplementary  symbols  are  added, — as  the  harlot 
riding  on  the  Roman  beast,  the  fall  of  great  Babylon,  and  the  seven 
vials.  Will  you  please  tell  iis  what  events  you  think  are  set  forth 
under  these  last  supplementary  symbols  ? 

F. — The  beast,  I  have  said,  signifies  Popery,  in  its  civil,  regal 
power ;  and  the  harlot  denotes  Popery,  in  its  ecclesiastical  power, 
which  is  supported,  guided,  and  wdelded  by  the  regal  power.  The 
harlot,  in  the  seventh  chapter,  is  the  same  as  the  second  beast  in 
chapter  13th,  which  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  but  spoke  as  a 
dragon.  The  seven  angels,  with  their  seven  vials,  in  the  sixteenth 
chapter,  denote  the  seven  last  plagues  which  are  to  come  upon  the 
Roman  earth,  previous  to  the  millennium.  While  the  destruction 
of  great  Babylon,  in  the  eighteenth  chapter,  sets  forth  the  utter 
overthrow  of  the  Papal  power,  and   synchronized  with  the  result 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE.  027 


of  the  last  gruiit  eunllict,  in  tliu  closing;  part  of  the  ninelt'cmli 
chapter. 

S. — What  parts  of  these  symbolical  predictions  may  now  be  in 
process  of  accomplishment  ? 

F. — I  would  not  speak  positively  on  such  a  question  as  this. 
There  can  be  no  doubt,  however,  that  we  are  living  near  the  close 
of  the  sixth  trumpet.  And  we  are  beginning  to  see  fulfilled  what 
is  predicted  in  Rev.  xvii.  IG  :  "  The  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest 
upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  shall  make  her  deso- 
late and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  burn  her  with  fire." 
It  had  been  previousl}^  said  of  these  ten  horns, — whieh  represent 
the  ten  kingdoms  into  whieh  the  western  Roman  empire  was 
divided, — that  "  these  have  one  mind,  and  give  their  strength  and 
power  to  the  beast."  For  a  long  period,  this  was  true  of  all  these 
ten  kingdoms.  They  were  all  of  them  Popish,  in  league  with 
Popery,  and  doing  all  in  their  power  to  support  it.  lint  the  oppo- 
site is  true  of  nearly  all  of  them  now.  They  have  turned  against 
the  whore,  are  eating  her  flesh  and  burning  her  with  fire,  and  she  is 
complaining  of  her  oppression  and  miseries.  I  have  no  doubt,  also, 
that  the  angel  is  already  beginning  his  flight,  having  the  everlasting 
gospel  to  preach  to  the  nations ;  and  that  the  great  Son  of  God  is 
again  on  the  white  horse,  riding  forth  for  the  conquest  of  the  world 
(Rev.  xix.  11). 

S. — Have  any  of  the  seven  vials  been  as  yet  poured  out  ? 

F^ — I  think  it  likely  that  some  of  them  were  fulfilled  in  the 
wars  of  Napoleon,  near  the  close  of  the  last  century  and  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  present.  Others  may  receive  their  fulfillment  in 
the  coming  conflicts  which  are  to  usher  in  the  millennium. 

S. — Do  you  think  that,  previous  to  the  milleiniium-  all  \\u-  inliab- 
itants  of  the  Avorld  are  to  be  converted  ? 

F. I  fear  not.     In   preparation  for  the  millennium,  the  gospel 

will  be  universally  diffused.  It  will  be  preached,  for  a  witness,  to 
all  nations.  Those  who  embrace  it,  and  enroll  themselves  among 
the  servants  of  Christ,  will  be  safe.     But  those  who  persist  in  re- 


628  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

jecting  it,  and  in  opposing  the  triumphs  of  the  Son  of  God,  will 
be  cut  off.  As  much  as  this  is  indicated  in  many  Scriptures,  and 
especially  in  the  Revelation.  There  is  the  mustering  of  the  hosts 
of  the  wicked,  and  the  gathering  of  them  together  at  Armageddon, 
to  the  battle  of  the  great  day  of  God  Almighty  (Chap.  xvi). 
There  is  the  account  of  the  last  vintage,  when  the  wicked  of  the 
earth  are  reaped,  and  cast  together  into  "  the  great  wine-press  of 
the  wrath  of  God."  And  when  the  wine-press  was  trodden  with- 
out the  city,  "  blood  came  out  of  the  wine-press  even  unto  the 
horses'  bridles  "  (Chap.  xiv.  20).  And  so  in  the  closing  verses  of 
the  nineteenth  chapter,  "All  the  fowls  of  heaven  are  summoned 
together  to  the  supper  of  the  great  God,  that  they  may  eat  the 
flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty 
men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the 
flesh  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both  small  and  great."  Here 
certainly  is  a  symbolic  representation  of  a  great  and  terrible  destruc- 
tion, immediately  preceding  the  introduction  of  the  Millennium. 

S. — I  have  a  few  more  questions  to  propose,  and  then  I  have 
done.  What  are  we  to  understand  by  the  "  first  resurrection  "  in 
Rev.  XX.  5?  Are  the  martyrs  to  be  literally  raised  from  the  dead, 
and  to  live  and  reign  with  Christ  on  the  earth? 

F. — I  think  not.  This  whole  representation  is  symbolical,  and 
is  to  be  so  interpreted.  Stripped  of  its  symbolic  dress,  it  merely 
sets  forth  the  state  of  the  world  during  the  millennial  period. 
Christ  is  to  reign,  not  bodily,  but  spiritually,  on  the  earth,  and  his 
people  are  to  reign  spiritually  Avith  him.  The  martyrs  are  to  be 
raised  in  spirit^  not  in  the  body.  In  other  words,  the  millennium 
is  to  be  a  time  of  pre-eminent  holiness.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
world  generally  are  to  be  as  holy  as  the  martyrs.  This  resurrec- 
tion and  prevalence  of  the  martyr  spirit  is  "  the  first  resurrection." 
"  Over  such,"  of  course,  "  the  second  death  hath  no  power." 

S. — How  are  we  to  account  for  the  great  defection  at  the  close 
of  the  millennium.  After  a  thousand  years  of  universal  holiness 
and  peace,  how  is  such  a  defection  possible  ? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  JilliLE.  629 

F. — It  must  be  remenihered  that  the  millennimn  will  not  change 
the  natures  of  men.  Children  will  be  born  then,  as  they  are  now — 
depraved  creatures — and  will  need,  as  we  do,  to  be  born  again  in 
order  to  see  the  kingdom  ol"  (iod.  To  be  sure, — in  the  absence  of 
Satanic  temptations,  and  under  the  influence  of  the  best  mc;ins, 
and  in  the  midst  of  continual  outpourings  of  the  Spirit, — they  will 
be  generally  and  early  converted.  They  will  also  be  deeply  sanc- 
tified. Religion  will  predominate  over  all  other  interests,  "The 
kingdom,  and  dominion,  and  greatness  of  the  kingdom  under  the 
whole  heaven  will  be  given  to  the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most 
High."  And  this  state  of  things  will  continue,  generation  after 
generation,  for  a  thousand  years. 

But  as  this  period  draws  to  a  close,  Satan  \yill  be  loosed  again, 
and  his  seductions  will  begin  to  prevail.  At  the  same  time.  Divine 
influences  will  be  comparatively  withdrawn,  (iod  i)erniits  this 
state  of  things,  that  he  may  show,  in  one  more  example,  wliat  sin 
and  Satan  are,  and  (if  left  to  themselves)  what  the}'  will  do.  A 
generation  soon  comes  forward,  haters  of  God,  despisers  of  his 
truth,  and  the  enemies  of  his  people.  They  will  be  restive  under 
the  restraints  of  the  gospel,  and  will  resolve  to  throA\  them  dfll". 
"  We  have  been  curbed  and  fettered  by  this  religion  long  enough. 
The  world  must  have  more  libert3^  Let  us  break  his  bands  asun- 
der, and  cast  away  his  cords  from  us." 

Knowing  what  human  nature  is,  when  exposed  to  new  tempta- 
tions, and  free  from  spiritual  restraints,  we.  can  easily  conceive  how 
this  thing  will  Avork.  Of  course,  no  good  reason  can  be  assigned 
for  the  last  great  defection,  but  actual  reasons  may  be  readily 
supposed  which  Avill  result  in  just  such  a  relapse  and  ruin,  as  that 
described  in  Rev.  xx.  7-9. 

S. — Ts  that  great  and  glorious  city,  which  John  saw  descending 
out  of  heaven  from  God,  to  be  regarded  as  the  final  residence  of 
the  redeemed  church,  or  as  a  symbol  of  the  church  itself/ 

i^'.—Undoubtedly  the  latter.  The  church  is  often  represented  in 
Scripture  as  a  building,  a  city.     I  believe  there  is  such  a  place  as 


(330  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE  BIBLE. 

heaven.  '*!  go  to  prepare  a  place  foi'  you"  (John  xiv.  2).  But 
where  this  locality  is,  and  what  its  structure,  form,  and  extent,  we 
have  no  knowledge.  The  city  which  John  describes,  like  that 
which  Ezekiel  shows  us  in  the  close  oi  his  prophecy,  is  a  splendid 
symbol  of  the  glorified^  church.  It  is  "  the  New  Jerusalem,  de- 
scending out  of  heaven  from  God." 

The  close  of  this  wonderful  book  is  inimitabl}^  beautiful,  leaving 
as  it  were  the  music  of  heaven  upon-  the  listening  ear.  "  I  Jesus 
have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you  these  things  in  the 
churches.  I  am  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David,  and  the 
bright  and  morning  star.  And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  come  ; 
and  let  him  that  heareth  say,  come  ;  and  let  him  that  is  athirst, 
come  ;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Surely,  I  come  quickly. 
Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

O  thou  Root  and  Offspring  of  David ;  thou  bright  and  morning 
star ;  condescend  to  guide  us  through  the  remaining  darkness  of 
our  pilgrimage,  till  we  are  ushered  into  the  sunlight  of  immortal 
day  I 


BS511  .P79 

Conversations  on  the  Bible  :  its 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00029  0868 


